


Enshrouded, In Oblivion

by NovaAloevera



Category: Nurarihyon no Mago | Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-22
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:40:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 26,220
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28247058
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NovaAloevera/pseuds/NovaAloevera
Summary: A story of Ienaga Kana, of how she turned into a powerful Yokai and it's consequences. Slight!AU Pairing: RiKana. (I do not own Nurarihyon no Mago) SLOW UPDATES!
Relationships: Ienaga Kana/Nura Rikuo
Kudos: 2





	1. Ominous Forewarnings

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Nurarihyon No Mago.
> 
> If you do not like RiKana then I suggest your little wandering stops here!
> 
> For those of you who do enjoy, well, enjoy reading!

It was finally the Summer Holidays.

The petite brunette, Kana Ienaga thought as she laid on her bed.

 _'I really can't wait for the trip that Maki-chan and Kiyotsugu-kun had planned, where we all go to the beach resort that Kiyotsugu-kun's uncle owned and had invited us to, for some relaxation. The best part is, Rikuo-Kun is coming too! With Oikawa-san and Kurata-Kun...'_ A certain brunette pondered, lying on her pink blanket.

"Alright! I've decided, I'm going to let Rikuo-kun know how I feel about him during this trip!" Kana sat up and marveled with confidence.

Then, a pang of doubt hit her. _'But...what if he rejects me... I mean he has Oikawa-san and they seem so close to each other… No! It's not the time for these thoughts! I will confess to Rikuo-Kun, even if he rejects…Well, at least he knows that I have feelings for him.'_ She thought. "The trip starts tomorrow so I better prepare for what I need to do!" She beamed with a smile. She sat in front of a mirror and rehearsed on what she'd say to him, but shamefully gave up after a few attempts, and went to pack the necessities she would need for the trip, come morning.

**-Meanwhile at the Nura Househould-**

"Why did I ever accept that invitation to the beach resort… I still have plenty of work to do…" The glasses-wearing youngblood grumbled, scratching his head. "Young Master, you need not worry! You have us to take care of it! So please take some time off. Go enjoy yourself and relax a bit. With the youkai incidents lately, you seem to be stressed out from all those fighting." Kurotabo encouraged, smiling at his leader.

"You're right...but still..." Rikuo added, but then more of his subordinates surrounded and reassured him that _'it's okay, we can handle this_ ' and ' _just go enjoy yourselves._ ' "Alright, alright! I guess I can go there. But if anything happens, you guys immediately have to let me know, got that?" He commanded, they all agreed and went back to their rooms or chores. "Young master, We are starting to pack things for the trip tomorrow. Your mother is going to pack your things so worry not!" Yuki-onna chirped next to him. Rikuo thanked her with a small smile and went back to work.

It wasn't long before he finished his reports and got ready for bed. With the lights out and a clear mind, the thoughts came crashing on him.

_'I hope this isn't a bad idea. It's true I need to let loose sometimes, but I just hope all goes well.'_

His mind abruptly drifted to his most important 'friend', Kana.

_'Whatever happens, I promise I'll keep her safe. Anything that dares to come in my way I'll fight, for her.'_

With that, his eyes shut and he fell unconscious.

**-Next day-**

Walking to the station isn't far for Kana. Her kind mother had prepared breakfast with a side of toast for her as she brought her pink duffel bag down to the dining table to eat with her family. Her father, as usual, was sipping on strong coffee, and reading the daily newspaper.

"Kana, make sure you double-check that you have everything you need for your vacation!" Her mother reminded her, cleaning the dishes.

"Yeah, I will!" She replied, sitting on the chair and digging into her breakfast.

"If anything happens, remember to call me. I'll come as fast as I can to save you." Her father added, smiling at her.

"Dad, you make it sound like I'm going on some crazy adventure! And I'm not, I'm just going to a beach resort with my classmates." Kana giggled, munching on her toast.

* * *

"Rikuo! Make sure you eat lots before you travel there! So that you don't go hungry midway!" Wakana chimed, doing the laundry "I know! I will!" He replied, walking to the dining hall to join everyone for breakfast.

He was greeted instantly upon sliding the Shoji door open.

"Good Morning, Young Master!"

"Fine Morning isn't it Young Master!"

"Young Master, good morning to you!"

He sat down and returned their greeting, eating the food that was set down for him.

"Here, these are the things I prepared for you for your vacation. I hope it is enough, make sure you double-check before you leave!" His mother entered the dining hall, holding his navy blue duffle bag. "Thanks, mom, I'll do that after I've finished my breakfast." Rikuo thanked her with a smile.

* * *

"Alright, I've got everything I need, I'm going now!" Kana beamed, as she gave her mother a hug.

"Be careful dear, call me or your father if anything happens, alright?" Her mother urged gently, and got a muffled _'I will'._

They broke the hug and Kana began her walk to the station.

* * *

"I've got the necessary items, we'll be heading off now!" Rikuo belted, waving goodbye to his comrades before heading to the station, with Aotabo and Yuki-onna trailing behind.

* * *

**"But it seems like fate had a funny way to connect people."**

* * *

It wasn't long before she was near the station, so was the certain glasses-wearing brunette she had grown fond of. His voice never ceased to catch her attention as she stopped in her tracks and looked at them in front of her.

Upon seeing a still silhouette upon him, he too stopped in his tracks and looked up.

"Rikuo-Kun?"

"Kana-chan?"

They called simultaneously, looking at each other.

"What a coincidence, Ienaga-san!" Tsurara spoke, smiling a little.

"Yeah, I didn't expect us to run into each other like this," Kana replied, returning her a smile.

Seeing the tension between them, "Let's hurry to the station if not we're going to be late!" He piped, laughing a little nervously.

They both agreed and resumed their walk to the station.

* * *

"There they are! Over here, you guys!" Kiyotsugu hollered, waving his arms to grab their attention.

After gathering everyone and counting if everyone was present, they hopped onto the train and went to their seats. It took them another few minutes of getting comfortable then the train began to move. The journey was at least 3 hours so to kill time, they had immersed themselves with Card Games, talks about Yokai investigations from Kiyotsugu and girl talks from Maki and Natsumi.

Getting bored from the conversation, Kana excused herself from the group and went to her seat alone, planning to take a nap. Leaning her cheek against an arm, she looked at the passing trees and mountains, thoughts drifting into her mysterious yet alluring red-eyed savior. She hadn't gotten over him, in fact she couldn't get over him, he was stuck inside her mind like some ceaseless parasite, oh, how she longed to meet him again. Her eyelids began to droop as she slowly drifted off to sleep, her head leaning against the window.

"Kana-chan?" Rikuo called, a hand touching her shoulder, making the half-conscious girl yelp in surprise.

"Rikuo-kun? Don't scare me like that!" She whisper-yelled, frowning.

"Sorry, I thought you were awake, what are you doing sitting alone?" He asked, taking a seat beside her.

"I-I wanted to take a short nap before we reach." It has come to Kana's attention that everyone else was still in their game and it was just the 2 of them, alone.

"Oh, then it's my bad for scaring you like that, sorry. You can go back to sleep, I'll be here." He smiled at her. Kana's face bloomed into a beautiful red, she nodded and leaned her head against the window again trying not to let her thoughts about him bother her. She closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

"Young master?" Tsurara whispered, walking over and away from the commotion from the group. Rikuo placed a finger on his lips to signify for her to be silent so as to not disturb his sleeping friend. Tsurara nodded and sat in front of him, looking at her human rival, then to her master, who also looked like he was trying to sleep.

She shrugged it off and looked out the window.

* * *

_I was tied and kneeled on a tall podium._

" _Die!"_

" _Monster!"_

" _My family suffered because of you!"_

_The jeers of the small crowd before me rang. I opened my eyes, disdainfully glaring at them._

" _What nerve." my sister to my right, growled._

" _How pitiful." the left one quipped._

_I shut my eyes for a few seconds, then reopened them with my chin held up high. I smirked at their angered looks, chuckling._

" _What are you waiting for, executioner? Off with our heads or else you and your people will regret it now." I prompted._

_With a look of fury, the man lifted up his axe and dropped it on my sister's head. Then the other one. The crowd cheered loudly, urging to take mine quickly._

" _How's that? Demons like you don't deserve to live! Any last words?!" He remarked, laughing._

_I shifted my gaze to him, then back to the people, and laughed along with him. I abruptly paused, glaring daggers at them._

" _Pathetic. Listen up you peasants," I commanded intensely and could smell the fear starting to emanate from some of them. "My sisters and I willingly turned ourselves in, so there's nothing for you to be proud of. Remember, you didn't catch us."_

_There was a short silence._

" _Before my head touches the ground, I curse thy lands! Thou shalt all suffer as we have! Killing us will be the worst mistake thou people have made! And as for the clan that staged this," I paused yet again, as the axe above my head raised, "We'll be back."_

_The swing of the falling axe was the last thing I heard._

* * *

"Kana-chan!" Rikuo thundered, shaking her awake, her eyes opening within a millisecond as she scanned her surroundings, cold sweat adorning her currently pale flesh. She looked up to see the face of a worried Rikuo.

"R-rikuo-kun? I- What- Was I-" She stuttered, panic settling in.

"Hey, it's alright now, I'm here. No one's going to hurt you." He hushed her gently, bringing her onto his chest, stroking her hair.

With the soothing voice of her crush and soothing caresses, her mind began to clear. She leaned against his shoulder and returned the embrace with a muffled thanks. They soon pulled away and Rikuo gave her an assuring smile."What happened?" She asked as he sat back down."You were pleading in your sleep, begging for someone to stop. Overall, you looked very uncomfortable." He explained. "I was having a bad nightmare I guess, but I can't remember what." She muttered, trying her best to recall.

"It's alright, don't think about that anymore we're almost there."

"Oh, right, where are the others?"

"They are also taking a nap, currently."

"So it's just us, huh?"

"Yeah..."

They looked at each other and a nice shade of pink bloomed on their cheeks.

"Uh... I'm also here you know?" Tsurara piped up, pouting, after watching what unfolded. Jealousy was evident on her face. The comment she made had caused their faces to turn into an even darker shade of red.


	2. Daunting Introductories

"Today's weather sure is nice huh? I can't wait to see what the hotel looks like, ahaha!" Kana blurted with a nervous laugh. "Y-yeah!" Rikuo chimed in similarly. Tsurara inspected the situation with a pout, glaring at Kana. The tension in the air was suffocating, until Jiro _-thank god-_ called for her.

"Oikawa-san, w-would you like to join me in a game of Speed?" He muttered with a shaky smile. Tsurara's brows twitched and she reluctantly agreed. After giving Kana one last sharp glare, she walked away. Kana heaved a sigh of relief and peeped at Rikuo, he was staring at the chair seat before him, thinking about something really deeply.

"Rikuo-kun?" She called to him, but he was too focused so she called him once more, this time tapping on his arm. He snapped out of his daze and looked at her, smiling sheepishly.

"Are you alright?" Kana pondered, eyeing him. "Ahaha, sorry! I'm alright, I-uh I was just thinking about… uh, my home! Yeah!" He spluttered while scratching the back of his head. Kana looked at him with a glint of suspicion but shook it off.

There was a pregnant pause between them as they stared at each other. Kana was the first to look away, her cheeks feeling extra warm and she could've swore he had the same pink on his cheeks. The rest of the trip to the station was filled with tiny, awkward small chats and avoiding each other's eyes.

* * *

The gruelling train ride finally came to an end and Kana stepped out of the carriage without a second thought, luggage in hand. The others followed behind her and gaped at the building before them.

"Woah!" Exclaimed Maki in awe.

"This place is ginormous!" Jiro chimed in.

Without any further delay, they quickly left the station and entered the gigantic doors of the extravagant hotel. They were lucky, as the queue to the check-in desk was not long, therefore they managed to get their room keys straight away. The girls' room was just right beside the guys and even had a door that was attached in between.

"Ah~! It's sooo plush and comforting!" Natsumi cheered, plopping onto the fluffy cushions of the big bed. "It does look rather comfortable." Tsurara remarked with a slight smile, then set her bag down on the table near the entrance. Kana and Natsumi followed in tow, swiftly unpacking the necessities for their outing later, then sat down on the bed and discussed on which bed they were going to be sleeping on, later that night.

"We still have a few hours to kill. So how about we walk around this glamorous place? I am 100% sure they have cafes or boutiques for us to check out!" The blonde suggested all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. "That's a good idea, we should!" Kana agreed similarly exuberated. Tsurara had initially planned to stay in the room to wait but she was dragged out by Natsumi without even having the chance to open her lips, so she reluctantly tagged along the group.

Due to the amount of shops they have traversed through, their legs have started to hurt, so Kana had suggested that they take a break at the cafe next to the exit. "Wah~! My legs are sore! But it was sooo worth it, I mean, look at how gorgeous these clothes are! They were also on discount so lucky me." Maki chirped happily while ogling the apparel she had just bought. "I'm going to get a drink, you girls want any?" Natsumi stood up and grabbed her wallet. "I'd like a Blue Lemonade. I'll be sure to return you the money later." Tsurara piped a little shyly. "Ooh, a Iced Tea for me, thank you!" the brunette raised her hand playfully, grinning. "I'll follow you. Take care of our stuff for us yeah." The blonde stood up and tagged along with Natsumi as they went to the cashier. Kana and Tsurara were left in awkward silence as they looked at the scenery around them.

"Um… Ienaga-san, is it okay if I asked you something?" Tsurara looked down at her twirling fingers, "Uhm, sure, what is it?" she replied, her chocolate orbs landing on her nervous figure. There was a pregnant pause, then the bluenette inhaled a gulp of air and queried something that made Kana dread.

"Do you… um… perhaps harbour feelings for Rikuo-san?"

The brunette eyes widened to the size of dinner plates, a fierce blush erupting on her face. What was she supposed to say?! Sure, she does have feelings for her childhood friend but… So does Tsurara, right? So why was she asking? Snapping back to reality, she blurted out the first thing she thought of, "N-no? W-what makes you think I do?" Kana instantly regretted her words when she saw how Tsurara's eyes lit up.

"That's a relief!..." Tsurara sighed in relief, "Um… Is it okay if I ask another favor from you?"

"Sure?..." Kana hesitated a little, but knew that there was no going back now.

"Uh well, you see… I was planning on confessing to him during this trip. So I'd really appreciate it if everyone gave us some alone time for the majority of the trip, including you… Is that alright?"

It seemed like Tsurara's nervousness had transmitted to Kana, as it was her turn to feel herself break into cold sweat. It was almost arduous for her to voice her reply, the lump in her throat that seemed to refuse to go away. "Is it too much?..." Tsurara peeped with a disheartened look. Kana got herself together, ' _I don't really have other options huh?... It couldn't be too bad, right?... Oh gods above, please help me…_ '

"S-sure…! I- uh, I'll be um, supporting the both of you…! Goodluck." the brunette blurted out rather too quickly, feeling a pang of sorrow course through her. "T-thanks! I owe you guys!" she chirped esthetically.

"Oh so this is where you guys were!" Kiyotsugu chimed from behind, the other boys following in tow.

Ah, it's almost laughable how the heavens did not hear her prayers. As the boys sauntered up to them. "H-hello! Oikawa-san!" Jiro stuttered abashedly, his cheeks turning pink at the sight of the girl. Kurata remained silent, just looking around the cafe. "We were looking around for you girls. I'm guessing those shopping bags there are Maki-san's, right?" Rikuo asked and noticed how Kana looked on edge. "Hey, are you al-"

"Oh, hey!" the blonde's voice resounded as they came back with the drinks in hand, before setting it down on the table. "Their drinks are surprisingly cheap and good! You guys should sooo try them!"

"Oh? Is that so? I'd have to try it myself then." Kiyotsugu said, stepping away. The others took a seat as they started to chat.

Kana felt like the world around her stopped moving, she just stared at the drink before her, mind numb and heartbroken. She failed to notice how her crush had sent glances at her, worried. Feeling a little nauseated, she stood up abruptly and excused herself. With her drink in hand, she briskly strode back to the girls' room.

Shutting the door behind her, she placed the still cold drink on the counter and dashed into the bathroom. Kana felt absolutely horrid at herself. Why did she have to lie, when her feelings toward him were as blatant as day? Why did her mouth betray her like this? She shrunk down onto the ivory ceramic tiles of the toilet floor, covering her face with her hands. It wasn't long before she felt warm, wet tears escaping her eyes. Why, oh why, did she do this to herself?

But she had to stay strong, no matter how hurt she was.

Hopefully, the pain will pass on and she will find someone better, like the yokai with striking red eyes and long, monochrome colored hair. Oh, how she really hoped to see him again, to replay the events that happened the night when she almost got eaten by that mirror yokai. _Wow_ , she thought, _I sound like a two-timer_. But she was absolutely torn between them, sure she loved that handsome yokai, but she also couldn't ignore what she felt for her best friend too.

Kana smack her cheeks with her hands lightly, _get yourself together! It's not the end, for sure!_ She smiled as a few tears dripped from her eyes and stood up, walking over to the sink to wash her face. Grabbing a nearby towel, she wiped the moisture off of her delicate face, then gently set the tower back to where it was before. She sighed lightly, and shifted her gaze up to stare at her own reflection in the mirror. There her face was, staring back at her with slightly parted lips and those eyes.

Wait, those eyes?

Did she always look so dead? Her eyes were different, they looked devoid of emotions, almost as if her reflection was deceased. She reached a hand out to touch the face of her reflection, refusing to break eye contact, but her eyes were too dry and she blinked. The illusion faded and she was staring back into her doe-like, spirited umber colored eyes.

What was that...?

Kana shook her head, it must be just herself, today has been a rollercoaster for her emotions, and she could really use a nap right now. Exiting the bathroom, she strolled over to the plush beds and plopped down. Her mind had wandered for a little, before her eyelids started to feel heavy, and before she knew it, she fell unconscious.

* * *

It was dark.

And cold too, when she awoke in this place. She hated the darkness ever since she was a child, it was always scary, not knowing what will come out of it. She tried to shut her eyes but they wouldn't listen to her so she stared into the black, inky void scenery.

"Ooh~ Hello there, little one." A foxy voice chimed behind her. She yelped in surprise, turning around to be greeted with more darkness. At this point, she prayed to wake up. "No, no~ Don't be afraid. We won't hurt you, I promise~!" It chirped again.

_We?_

_So she's not alone in this place? Oh no… where was she?_

"You're dreaming, no doubt~ But don't worry, we'll make this quick. Your prayers have been heard. We're here to salvate you from your hapless fate."

_Hapless... fate?_

"That's right~! For now, you're not ready to see us yet but we assure you, we're he- Oh? What was that sissy?... Okay fine~ but you're going to scare this young one away~"

_What's going on?_

"Hehe~ Later tonight, you're going to suffer a inescapable fate. One you'll be traumatised from i'm sure~ But that's not the end~! You have been cursed ever since you stepped foot in these grounds, little one. There will be more hurdles for you to overcome, I'm sure~ But don't worry~! As I said earlier, we're here to divert this unfavourable fate from you~! Not 100% but hey, we'll try our very best~!"

… _.what_

"I know right~!"

_What in the world is going on, what do you mean?!_

"Like. I. Said~ Don't worry about a thing~! Actually maybe you should a little, teehee~"

_Explain to me, please!_

"Uh oh, time is running out~! Well, we'll see how it goes, hm?"

_What is going on?!_

"Don't hesitate to call us if you are in need of our help, okay hun~? We'll come for you as soon as we can~! Buh bye, little one~!"

* * *

"-na-chan…! Kana-chan, wake up…!" The familiar voice of Rikuo rang. "Wh-wha…?" She mumbled groggily, sitting up and rubbing her eyes. "Hey there." He smiled at her. "Um, hello, Rikuo-kun. How long was I asleep for?" Kana queried with a yawn.

"An hour or two, but that's alright. You did mention you weren't feeling too well. Are you feeling better now?"

Then the conversation between her and Tsurara slapped her hard in the face and the familiar feeling of sorrow filled her heart.

"Uh… Yeah, I think." she mumbled, looking away from him. He frowned a little but thought nothing of it, "Come on." He gently grabbed her small hands and tugged. "Where are we going?" She asked again, trying to ignore the warmth of his hands and how comforting it felt. "To eat dinner, with the others, of course!" They left the room in tow and walked in silence for a little while. "You know, you didn't have to go through all the trouble to wake me up, you could have just called my cell phone." Kana piped, looking down shyly. "Maki-san and Natsumi-san tried calling you several times, but you didn't pick up. I got worried and came up to check on you, turns out you were napping like a kitten." Rikuo chuckled, as they entered the lift.

She had totally forgotten to turn off her silent mode before snoozing.

"Oh… Oopsie. I'm going to have to apologize to them." She muttered, a little embarrassed at herself. He chuckled at her expression and they continued to stroll in tow to the restaurant Jiro found that apparently made great italian food. Stepping foot into the restaurant, Kana could feel her mouth watering at the delightful smell of food.

"Ah, here they are! And woah! What are you guys? 5?" Kiyotsugu gibed smirking at them, while Maki and Natsumi cheered.

Their eyes simultaneously shifted downwards to their still connected hands, and instantly let go of each other, muttering apologies as their face turned beet red, the others watched cackling at them. They speedily took a seat opposite of each other and covered their faces with the menu, refusing to face the others at the moment.

Tsurara could only glare at the brunette beside her in envy.


	3. Ultimate Predicament

The dinner was scrumptious, too exquisite for them to put to words.

"Wah~! I'm stuffed! Who knew the food here could be so darn good and cheap at the same time?" Maki grinned happily, her hand rubbing circles on her belly. "I know right! Man, I would live here forever just for the food!" Natsumi added, wiping her mouth with a bubbly smile.

"Enough about the food! I heard that just right behind the hotel, there's a bazaar happening. The night is still young, so let's head there now!" Kiyotsugu hyped, pumping his fist in the air enthusiastically. The others agreed rather lethargically, a little too full. Exiting through the back of the hotel, they were greeted by the beautiful lights of the bazaar and the crowd of people walking around. They were yet again, in awe at how the big and breath-taking the bazaar was. Without wasting any more time, Kiyotsugu urged the group to take a walk around, and it wasn't long before they went they were separated from each other.

Natsumi and Maki had browsed too quickly and were gone before they knew.

Kiyotsugu was confidently bragging about the items that he knew to Jiro whom was admiring, so they were obviously too slow.

And then there were the 4 of them left.

Kurata and Kana stood at the back awkwardly, as Tsurara clasped Rikuo's right arm and gushed about the bazaar. It took a few moments for Kana to recall the little promise she made with Tsurara. Her eyes widened in realisation and she roughly tugged on Kurata's shirt, "W-woah! Kurata-kun have you seen that before?! Let's check that out!" Without having a chance to retort, he was dragged away by the brunette. Rikuo watched in bewilderment from a few feet away, as Kana gushed to Kurata about how pretty the fake mermaid scales were.

"Young master, let's carry on! I'm sure Aotabo and Ienaga-san are also having fun!" Tsurara ushered, tugging his arm. He reluctantly nodded and looked at them one last time, before walking away with her. It came to be the worst decision he had made.

"Phew, they're gone finally." Kana huffed in relief, releasing her grip on his shirt. "What are you plotting?" He asked firmly, folding his arms. "Y-you see. Oikawa-san requested everyone to let them have some alone time because, uh… She likes him, okay? And I guess now is the perfect time for them to get along?" She yakked, before sighing and turning around to walk away. Kurata followed her, and swore under his breath. What the hell was Yuki-Onna thinking? They were his servants, not some person whom he can date so casually. As they strolled in silence, Kana scanned the stalls, sometimes stopping to admire the goods sold. She was eyeing a gold plated plaque *****. It was adorned with a dragon that was seemingly carved on it and it looked divine, almost bewitching.

"I see you have a keen eye, miss." the shopkeeper addressed, walking over to her.

"This golden dragon plaque is rumored to once belong to a powerful yokai. It is said that if you managed to get your hands on it, you would be wealthy in life." He added schemingly. "That sounds wonderful, but um, I'm not interested in these kinds of things. Thank you." She muttered, walking away. The shopkeeper glared at her and went back to his stool.

The sound suddenly of thunder rang around the area.

"Oh? It seems like it's going to rain. Shall we head back?" Kana suggested to her classmate still standing behind her. "Yeah. We should." They turned around and slowly walked back to the direction of the hotel, and it seems like the residents of the hotel thought the same after hearing the booming of the thunder. They had to squeeze with the crowd, shuffling and shoving each other a little as they walked. Finally, Kurata stepped into the hotel and sighed at ease. "Are you alright?" He turned around to ask, only to see that Kana was nowhere near him. He quickly scanned through the crowd for the small girl, but with no luck. Braving the crowd, he left the hotel yet again to search for her, because he knew he'd be given hell if anything happened to his master's dearest friend.

Meanwhile Kana was pushed to the edge of the crowd, trying her best not to trip. Deciding that the crowd was too much for her, she quickly took a left turn to the almost empty walkway which led to the beach, maybe she could find a small seaside cafe to hide from the rain for a while. To her dismay, there was no such place as she hid under the tree from the now pouring rain, soaked to the bone. The rain was unforgiving with thundering booms and flashes of lightning, the harsh wind was also not helping her shivering form. She looked out into the sea from where she was, it was just a short walk to the open waters, she realised. Then to her horror, she found out that the tide was rising because of the rain, so she quickly ran into the sparse forest behind her, trying to seek higher ground from the rising waters.

Hiking through the dark forest, she had managed to find a tall cliff that was to her right and briskly seeked shelter under another tall tree, this time with lesser leaves to cover the falling rain. She had stood at the very end of the cliff, not knowing that the soil was softening from the rainwater. At this point, she was sure she was going to die of hypothermia, as her teeth were chattering.

Suddenly the soil beneath started sliding down a little.

* * *

Inside the hotel, Maki and the others sat on the chairs of the lobby, a little worried. Natsumi had tried calling Kana, but it seems like her cell phone was switched off, so no luck.

They had managed to contact Rikuo and they were both okay, so now it was Kurata and Kana left.

"It's fine… right? They will return soon together, surely…!" Jiro tried cheering his friends up and if not for the crowd he'd be met with deafening silence. Kiyotsugu paced around back of the sofa, obviously anxious for their return.

* * *

"Kurata! Over here!" His master's voice called. Shifting his gaze to the stall they stood at, he ran swiftly over to them, soaking wet. "Young master!" He greeted frantically. "What's wrong? Where's Kana-chan?!" The brunette placed his hands on the taller male's shoulder, overwrought. Aotabo shut his eyes in despair, "My deepest apologies, young master. Due to my negligence, I lost sight of Kana when we were on our way back to the hotel to take shelter from the rain!"

Rikuo felt his heart drop in horror.

"Find her. Now! We don't have time, something may have happened to her!" He commanded

fiercely, nearly switching forms before the stall owner. They quickly rushed out into the rain, not before thanking the store owner for the shelter.

' _Kana-chan, please, be safe…!'_

* * *

Panicking, Kana screamed in fear and held onto the tree behind her, hoping that it would somehow help her. Just as she tried to make a dash to the forest within, the ground gave way and she screamed as she started falling down, into the open ocean. Amidst the booming roars of the thunder, she could feel her body descending further, the wind blowing against the side of her ears fiercely, the burn in her throat from her bellowing cries and the tears mixed with rainwater flying upwards.

There was a jolt of pain.

Then, it was just the gruelling, cold darkness.

* * *

Out of the sight of humans, Yuki-Onna and Aotabo switched into their yokai forms, with Rikuo switched into his night form, where his senses were far sharper. "I don't care if we have to do this until the sun rises, just keep searching for her!" He commanded ferociously, making them surprised as he was always so calm and collected. "I-I'll contact Karasu Tengu and his family to search for her as well…" Yuki-Onna mumbled timidly.

Rikuo clenched his jaw, his brows furrowed in distress as the trio swiftly and discreetly leaped from trees to trees around the area.

* * *

When Kana awoke, it was the same blinding darkness before her, just like in her dream. The last thing she could remember was falling off the cliff.

_Was this what they meant by 'suffer an inescapable fate'...?_

"Ding ding ding~! That's right~!" The same foxy voice chirped behind her. Turning around like before, she was greeted by an alluring fox-lady.

_Who are you?_

"Hello, once again, little one~" She greeted, her fangs glinting even in the darkness, when she spoke. "My name is Kikuko~ I'm a nine-tailed fox yokai~!" The lady stepped forward and gazed at the younger girl with her sharp, foxy eyes. Kana could only ogle at her beauty in awe, which did not go unnoticed by the vixen. She giggled, "It's alright~ Go ahead, feast your eyes upon the great fox Kikuko~"

"Kikuko, we have more important matters." A firm voice added and another figure emerged from the darkness. This lady was more robust, her skin bedecked with fiery, orange scales, enough to make her look menacing, but not enough to cover her humanity. "Oh~ Right~ Welcome to the dead, Kana-chan~" Kikuko sang with a mischievous grin.

_Dead…? Right… no mortal would've survived that fall._

The vixen nodded enthusiastically, giggling. "Now let's just cut to the chase, shall we~ You have two options, stay dead or be resurrected."

_Resurrect…? But how?_

"By us, of course silly~"

_Of course I want to live…!_

"Hehe~ Who doesn't, hm~? Pay attention, as this will be some of the conditions~ Now, there will be 3 great yokais inhabiting your body, now normally this wouldn't be a problem… For an adult that is. But as a child you are now, you will have trouble suppressing our immense auras during certain times, so that's where YOU have to practice to not give our powers away, as we're using your body for revenge on a certain clan of yokais…" Kikuko's grin fell into a frown as she glared, so did the dragon lady.

"But don't worry~ You can live your everyday life normally~! And of course, if you ever get in trouble, we're here to protect you, and your body~! And if you're lucky enough, after this whole ordeal, you'd be even returned back to normal, without needing us to sustain your body~! Safe and sound~!" The vixen's grin returned, her pale, periwinkle-colored tails swishing excitedly behind her.

_Is that all…? Do I have time to think?_

"No. Hurry up and make your choice. We don't have time to waste." The dragoness growled, making Kana flinch in fear.

"We promise to explain everything~! So pretty please with a cherry on top, accept our request to be resurrected~" Kikuko prodded enchantingly.

_A-...Alright… I'll do it._

"Hooray~! Isn't this great, Kurenai~? We can finally end that wretched household all those years ago~" Kikuko cheered, fist-pumping.

"They won't get away this time. I'll make sure I kill every single one of them, child or not." The dragoness, whom was called Kurenai seethed.

Suddenly, Kana felt very light-headed.

"It's time for you to rest, child. Take the time you need to recuperate. In the meantime, I'll be taking over your body."

_Wha-?... This threatening, cold dragoness was going to take over her body?... oh no... Rikuo-kun and the others are going to definitely... suspect... something… so, sleepy…_

* * *

When Kurenai woke up, she was under the dark waters of the sea with sharks swimming around her, enticed by the blood that was pouring out of the long gash behind her back. It was then the sharks starting to charge toward her, hungry for her flesh. Outstretching her arm, she channeled her power and transformed the once normal hand into ferocious dragon claws then in an instant, she took down all 4 sharks and swam to the surface.

Taking deep gulps of needed air, she took in the surroundings, the tall wall of the cliff was just a few feet away from her, then to the bloodied, sharp rocks, presumably hers as she could feel several broken bones and lacerations all over the girl's body. It was going to be hard for her to swim like this, she thought. Scanning around her carefully, she saw the shore to her right, then began swimming, ignoring the uncomfortable clacking of the bones as well as the fatigue of blood loss from the poor girl's mangled body, she was fortunate to be immune to pain for now, thanks to their shared powers. Finally stepping onto the sand, she quickly rushed up to the sandy beach but fell ungracefully because of her dislocated right leg. Kurenai grunted in irritation, this was why she hated mortal bodies, they break too easily. The child would certainly not have survived this if she hadn't accepted their powers. Focusing, she proceeded to regenerate and heal the wounds on her once broken body and in a blink of an eye, she was as good as normal. Of course, she modified the tattered and bloody clothes to look as if nothing happened to her previously.

Taking a look at her body once more, she sighed in ease, it was finally pristine enough to lay eyes on. Plopping down ungracefully to the sand below, she looked up at the sky and noticed that the harsh rain before had stopped completely, the clouds still orange hued. Inhaling, she coughed lightly at the immense taste of salt lingering on her taste buds.

"Ugh, saltwater..." She brought a hand up to wipe at her mouth which was of course useless. Her brows furrowed in repugnance, her hand still lingering near her mouth. Kurenai's eyes darted to her left, feeling several presences appear behind her. Fortunately they had just arrived if they hadn't she would have to erase their memories, which would be cumbersome for her.

"Kana!" A male's voice called, it had sounded really familiar. Wracking quickly through the teen's memories, she had found out who it was, ah, so it was someone she fancied. The person wrapped his arms around her figure tightly, clearly relieved she was alright. He pulled away not a second later though, his red eyes scanning her soak body for injuries. "Are you hurt?"

"I'm alright." Kurenai replied coldly, cringing at Kana's usually chirpy-voice, though it was slightly lowered as that was the normal tone the dragoness usually spoke with back in her own body. Using his body as an anchor, she stood up abruptly, wobbling slightly from the imbalance and was tenderly aided by the male before her. "What were you doing all the way here? You had your friends worried sick." He queried, holding her body close.

Kurenai rolled her eyes, she was not one for romance, having no time for those kinds of bull crap. "There were too many people back at the bazaar trying to escape the rain as well, I got away from them to seek shelter somewhere else but the downpour was too heavy so I lost my way before I knew it." She explained listlessly, closing her eyes from the slight fatigue feeling the spell beginning to wane. Rikuo nodded and held her close to his well-built body, encircling his arms around her warmly. She cringed, eyes rolling to the back of her head inwardly sighing. She guessed she could keep this memory for her, so that when she wakes she would at least have knowledge that he cares for her. "You're abnormally cold, Kana."

"Of course, I was lost and soaked to the bone with little to no shelter." She retorted, to his amusement and he was a little surprised. It wasn't like her, to talk back like that. He assumed that she was just feeling exhausted. There was a small moment of silence with Rikuo's arms still around her and hers laid limply at her sides, absolutely refusing to return his embrace.

"Let's bring you back to your uneasy friends now." He piped up, then hooked his arms under her legs and carried her princess-style. Kurenai almost gagged, but held onto the annoyance for their sake. "Hold on tight, don't want you falling now, even if you already did, for me." He uttered the last part silently and it didn't go unheard by her sharp ears but she pretended as if she didn't catch it. Giving her one last smile, he leaped up into the night sky, swiftly hopping from trees to trees.

* * *

He set her off somewhere nearby where there wasn't anyone around and then disappeared mystically into the night again. So that's the grandson of Nurarihyon, huh? It's been awhile since they've met, she thought as she entered the hotel doors.

"Oh my gosh! Kana, there you are! Do you have any idea how worried sick we were?!" Maki chided running up to the girl, giving her a bone-crushing hug. Kurenai wheezed a little at her grip, this lady could easily kill a yokai if she wanted to, with a hug like this. As the others gathered and demanded to know what had happened, she explained the same thing as she did with Rikuo.

"Where's Nura-kun by the way?" Kiyotsugu queried, looking around.

"Oh, he messaged me earlier, he said that he, Kurata-kun and Oikawa-san are alright. He told us not to wait, as Oikawa-san wishes to browse the bazaar for a little while longer." Natsumi yawned a little and shortly after, they all nodded then left the lobby to go to their designated rooms. The girls had taken turns to shower and when it was Kurenai's turn, she entered the bathroom, removed her clothings and soaked in the hot waters of the big bathtub.

Closing her eyes, she did what she couldn't before and dug into the memories of Kana. From the moment she had opened her eyes to the moment she fell off the cliff just now. It went by in a flash, there were moments she felt down, moments she felt elated, moments where she was naive and the Ungaikyo incident. After digesting the memories, she scrubbed her body gently, then rinsed and got out of the tub. Wrapping her body with a big fluffy towel, she stopped and looked behind, her own reflection from the sink mirror staring right back. Slowly shifting her gaze down, her eyes landed on the long scar that reached from the back of her left shoulder to the back of her right hip. She had healed the wound but not completely, leaving the scar behind. It served as a reminder that this happened, not in a bad way. Kurenai had always admired scars, but because of her high-speed healing she healed before her blood could even begin to drip, her dragon scales were so tough she rarely received scratches. Sauntering over to her neatly folded pajamas, she dressed and exited the misty bathroom.

She was greeted with yet another familiar face. Tsurara had returned, sitting on the chair patiently waiting for her turn to enter the bathroom. When her azure eyes landed on Kana's figure, she sighed in relief, "I'm glad you're okay! Rikuo-kun, Kurata-kun and I were deeply worried." Kurenai was well aware of the mini rivalry that was transpiring between their vessel and this young lady. "I'm fine now. I'm going to bed early, as I'm completely drained of energy." She closed her eyes and hung her towel at the rack before tugging the sheets off and sliding under. "It's not healthy to sleep with wet hair, Kana!" Maki chided, applying her face product. Kurenai ignored her and drifted off to unconsciousness, where she'd be meeting with her sisters and their slumbering vessel.  
  


* * *

* * *

***** : It's something like a Hopae from the olden dynasties in Korea.  
  



	4. Deceitful Schemes

**This chapter is rated M.**

**There isn't any explicit writing, however, there are suggestive themes.**

**!Slight Trigger Warning: Pedophiliac intentions.**

* * *

"Welcome back, Kurenai~ How was it~?" Kikuko cooed playfully, laying on her side, her tails tucked neatly behind her, swaying a little."Human body is so inconvenient. When I came conscious, her body was comparable to a broken doll." Kurenai groaned, sliding a hand through her cantaloupe-toned hair. Kikuko giggled, "I know what you mean~" bringing a tail forward to caress the soft fur. "So, where is she?" The dragoness looked around in the vast darkness. "Don't know~? Sissy wanted to do something with her, you can go find her if you want~" the vixen shifted her sharp gaze from her tail to her sister. Kurenai only nodded, not questioning her sister's intentions. "Enough about the serious talk, so, how is she like~?"

"Interesting enough. Experience it yourself tomorrow. You're taking over, aren't you?" Kurenai remarked, tigerish eyes glancing at the fox. "Yep~ Can't wait for all the fun I'm going to have~!" She purred, nine-tails swaying playfully behind her.

Kana's brown eyes lethargically opened, her eyelids almost refusing to lift. Sitting up, she realised she was in the same pitch black darkness, she was covered with a dark robe however, but did not know whose it belonged to. Both Kikuko and Kurenai did not don black robes.

"Finally awake, child?" a toneless, yet silky voice spoke.

She looked up and saw a feminie figure, sitting. "H-hello?" The brunette muttered, a little frightened, this lady did not emit a nice aura. It felt monstrous, bloodthirsty even. "Good. You're responsive at least." The figure then stood up, slowly walking toward her. Kana shrunk a little, afraid of what the lady might do. Upon a closer look, Kana could finally see her features. This lady was petite, standing at an average height, similar to a high schooler. She was as breath-taking as Kikuko, her gentle features matched with those melancholy eyes which were devoid of emotions, and if not for the aura she was emitting, Kana was sure she would've fooled anyone.

"It's not nice to stare." The lady chided, coming to a halt right before her. "S-sorry…! Um… You must be the last yokai that inhibits my body that I have yet to meet." Kana gulped, getting on her feet. The lady just stared at her, making the already skittish girl even more anxious under her watchful eyes. Then, she shut her eyes and turned away, sighing deeply, before reopening them. "Kukuri."

"Huh?" Kana looked at her, dumbfounded.

"My name."

 _Oh, right. What a pretty name_. She thought, smiling.

"Enough of introductories, you'll know more when we share our memories. For now, I need you to learn the technique of manifestation."

"Manifestation…"

Kukuri nodded, then stretched her hand out to the seemingly endless void. "Reach your hand out, just like mine." Kana did as she was told, her pale hand outstretched. "Now close your eyes and imagine yourself standing in a field of flowers. How tranquil it would feel, how the breeze would caress you and how the vibrant flowers would oscillate against the wind."

The younger brunette shut her eyes and let her mind begin to wander. A field of flowers, huh? That'd definitely be way better than just being in this, pitch dark, sunless place. Speaking of flowers, she misses having a picnic with the Kiyojuji Patrol gang. She recalls how they'd set up the picnic mat on the grass, how Natsumi and Maki would gush about what they had prepared for them and how Kiyotsugu would prattle on and on about the different types of interesting yokai. She could also remember how Jiro would admire his talks with Rikuo sitting by her side, timorously listening and making sure she was alright. He was always with Kurata and Tsurara, but Kurata was never interested in this kind of stuff, so it's just Tsurara on his other side, clinging onto him.

Tsurara.

' _Uh well, you see… I was planning on confessing to him during this trip. So I'd really appreciate it if everyone gave us some alone time for the majority of the trip, including you… Is that alright?'_

Her words replayed through her mind. It brought her to when they were at the bazaar, how close they were and how happy they looked. Kana could feel the turmoil rising in her emotions, feeling angry, jealous and downhearted at the events that had transpired before she had died. Oh, how she wanted retribution, how she wanted to show the blue-haired girl that she was better with-

"Hey." Kukuri interjected with a slight growl. "I said field of flowers. Not blood and gore."

Oh.

Oh god. What has she just thought of? How could she even think of something like that? If her friends had found out about this, they'd be disgusted for sure. This wasn't like her. "Breathe and cease those undesirable thoughts." The lady commanded, a hand on the girl's shoulder. Kana took a big intake of air, then exhaled and repeated the process, calming herself down. "Reminisce about the more gratifying ones." Kukuri advised, lifting her hand from her shoulder.

Kana brought herself to remember that mystifying male yokai that saved her countless times and the very one she fell in love with. She looked back on the small date they had after the mirror demon had tried to devour her. His warm, large comforting hands enveloping hers, as he pulled her back.

' _Don't you dare lay a hand on a woman from my territory.'_

She blushed, recalling at his words and the warmth his well-built body emitted as she leaned against it. Then her mind went to the red mirror he had gifted her when they were at that yokai-filled bar. She still treasures it to this very day, even bringing it to school. Strangely, the mirror makes her feel assured, it feels as if no matter where she went, he was always watching her, making sure she is safe. Without even knowing it herself, Kana had smiled fondly at the memory, her heart feeling mellow and tender.

"You may open your eyes now, child."

Kana lifted her eyelids and instantly, her breath was taken away. There they stood, in a field of radiant flowers glowing a remarkable teal, the petals shimmering as they flew from the wind under the luminescent moonlight. The scenery was also decorated with floating lanterns, thousands of them hanging spectacularly in the night sky, some low, some way up above, the flame within the thin papers flickering a warm orange.

They drank in the sight that Kana herself had visualised in awe, until Kukuri piped up, "Your wandering mind could do some work, but the mirage you can visualise is astounding enough. Well done, child." Kana giggled nervously, however she had managed to impress a powerful yokai!

"How was I able to do this? Did you do this with your powers too?" She asked meekly, shifting her gaze from the black-haired lady, to the lanterns in the sky. "I did not do anything. Never forget that this is your body, therefore this place is your consciousness. This meadow is visualised by yourself, I merely aided your thought process. After all, staring into the featureless, black void is too arid. The mirage here can stay or go, as you wish, of course. All you need to do is focus, like before." Kukuri kneeled down and plucked a flower from the seemingly endless lea that laid beneath their feet and inspected it. And of course, Kana was going to make this scenery stay! It's so pretty!

Laying the still shimmering flower where she had taken it from, she stood up. "Remain here for a moment. I will gather my sisters." Kana snapped her gaze to her and nodded quickly, as Kukuri disappeared into the air. Not even 10 seconds later, she returned with Kikuko and Kurenai, both pleasantly surprised at the landscape before them. "Wowie~ Looks like our girly here has a knack for imagery, hm~?" Kikuko chirped, swirling around. "Impressive." Kurenai praised, her expression remaining steadfast. The young brunette could only giggle abashedly at their words, cheeks slightly tinting.

"Kiku, time for you to go." The black-haired yokai suddenly said, obsidian eyes on her more ludic sister.

 _Go? Oh no… not again…_ Kana suddenly felt the same tiredness hit her like before. _This time it was Kikuko's turn to take over, huh?... I hope she doesn't do anything… weird…_

"Rest well~ Kana-chan~" Was the last thing Kana heard as she passed out, her body softly landing on the bed of flowers under her, below the moonlit sky of her illusion.

* * *

The sound of the alarm from Maki's phone rang around the dark room, the sunlight barely getting through the thick, brown curtains. One by one, they started to wake up, stretching as they sat up from the comfy bed paired with the cozy blankets.

Tsurara sat up and yawned then turned her head to the still slumbering brunette. She reached a hand over and shook her slightly, "Ienaga-san, it's time to wake up." and was met with a light keen. She took her hand back instantly, shocked at the noise. That's when Kana sat up, gently carding her fingers through her hair, then stretched with the same keen, but this time louder. Opening her now walnut-shaded eyes, she looked over to Tsurara."Good morning, Oikawa-san." Kikuko smirked slightly, toning the foxyness in her usual voice down by a notch, it however, still sounded sly. "G-good morning." the girl muttered back confusedly.

After getting ready for the day, the group got down to the lobby for their next planned criteria for the trip, hiking at the large mountainous area just right next to the hotel, which is rumored to have yokai wandering around. They walked over to the exit but just before they stepped out, Rikuo clasped a hand gently around Kikuko's wrist. "Kana-chan… Are you sure you are well enough to hike? I heard that you were soaked head to toe yesterday from the rain. You don't have to force yourself to come if you don't feel comfortable." He questioned worriedly. She looked at him and tilted her head. "Aw~ You're worried about me, hm?" she cooed, surprising him a little at her tone, "But don't worry about me. If I wasn't well enough, I wouldn't have agreed, much less stepped out of that room. Besides," she leaned over to his ears, "If anything did happen to me, you or your 'friend' will be there for me, won't you, Rikuo-kun~" The bespectacled boy could only stare at her with his mouth agape in stupefaction, his cheeks blooming red. Kikuko giggled lightly and slid her wrist out of his grasp and resumed walking with the group, oh how she couldn't wait to see the look on Kana's face at this memory she had just made. "Uh.. Young master, shouldn't we catch up to them?" Tsurara piped up with a hint of displeasure. Rikuo snapped out of his thoughts and shook it away, agreeing with her then running up to the group.

After crossing the road, they finally stood under the large, dark torii gate that was the entrance to the mountains. Without waiting any further, they had started the trekk upwards, much to the reluctance of the others in the group. Kikuko followed without complaint, the mountains were once her home, after all. Her eyes looked around, drinking in the nostalgia and the beauty of the forest with a smile on her face. Arriving at the mid-section of the mountain, it had started to get foggy, but they pressed on again until they were stopped by 2 signs, one pointing to the left and one to the right. The left path was blocked off by a worn-out rope with a sign that said "do not enter."

Kiyotsugu stopped the group and cleared his throat, flipping open the tour guide booklet and scanned through the words. "Ehh, it says here that this place used to be inhibited by powerful yokais in the past. It was rumored that they were so powerful they could even take down some minor gods if they wanted to. They lived alongside the humans peacefully at first but one day, they killed an important god and were captured and executed publicly. The leader of the clan has since cursed the lands here and it is not advised that you go on the left path with a yokai specialist or better named an onmyouji, as it is dangerous. Don't you guys worry, as a yokai specialist myself, I can assure all of you will come out unscathed, so let's go!" He dramatically pointed at the path that was blocked. "M-maybe we shouldn't, if the flyer itself says that it is dangerous paired with the sign, we shouldn't, right?" Rikuo sheepishly objected, glancing at Tsurara and Kurata who both nodded furiously. "Nura-kun… Could it be that… You're scared?" Kiyotsugu gibed, sneering at the timid brunette. "O-of course I am! There may be dangerous animals in there like a cougar or something. M-maybe that's why there's the sign in the first place r-right?" He stuttered nervously, detecting the strong yokai energy coming from the path on the left. "Or maybe there's yokais in there… Which makes it all the more exciting, come on guys, let's go in and check it out!" The leader was insistent on entering. "I don't think we should. Last time you said there were yokais we were left with disappointment and everyone reached home soaking wet because of the sudden downpour. I'd rather we just walk the normal path and finish then get over with this rubbish." Maki retorted with an eyeroll and Natsumi agreed. With a sulk, Kiyotsugu gave in and sullenly walked to the right, the rest of them following in tow. Rikuo sighed in relief, dodged a bullet there, he thought.

Kikuko was very intrigued, so this was what the humans wrote about us? We killed an important god, huh? They were obviously wrong, it wasn't them. The accursed clan that caused this will definitely pay with their blood. Anger started coursing through her veins at the detestable memory, her jaws clenching and eyes squinting in vexation. Taking notice of her troubled expression, Natsumi trotted to her, "Kana-chan, you okay? You don't look too happy." Kikuko closed her eyes and sighed, hushing those thoughts then smiled at the greenette. "I'm alright, Natsumi-chan. It's just, the fog is making it hard to see things." She replied reassuringly, her friend nodded in sympathy. "I agree, it's getting harder and harder to see."

"Everyone, make sure to stick close! If you don't you may get lost!" Kiyotsugu hollered and was acknowledged by the others. Natsumi then jogged back to Maki's side, silently trudging along. Even though Kana's body had been nearly decimated last night, Kikuko still felt like the girl's youthful and healthy body would be able to scale this mountain at least 10 times. Of course the never-ending supply of energy was aided by her eldest sister's amazing prowess and even both Kikuko herself and Kurenai too, even if it's just a little. She hummed a tune while staring at the dirt below as she trailed, not even breaking a sweat. After walking for a while more, they had finally reached the furthest point of the mountain anyone would reach, as there was a stop sign. Thankfully, there was a small hut that sold refreshments for the tourists hiking. Rikuo and the other 2 could immediately tell that the store-owner was not human, but he was harmless so he was off the hook. He took a sip of water, eyeing the store-owner warily and followed his gaze. He was staring right at Kana who was browsing the candy section with her back-facing him.

The brunette furrowed his brows and strode over to her using his own body to block hers from the store-owner's lecherous sight. "Oh, hello. Are you interested in the candies too?~" Kikuko chortled, picking up the bar of chocolate and saw Rikuo's frown, his eyes looking to his side. "What's wrong, Rikuo-kun?" She queried. "Let's just get out of here, I'll buy you all the candy you want at the hotel." He shifted his gaze back at her, making the girl tilt her head. "But I'd really want something sweet now. I'll be fine, wait for me outside, 'kay?"

"No, let's just go. I'll get you anything you want after we descend."

"Eh~ I'll go after I pay, I'll be fine." She pouted, looking sadly at the bar of chocolate in her hands, then back at him. "Please~? I promise I'll be fine. If anything happens I'll scream 'kay?" He clenched his jaw, looking at her then back to the store-owner, before sighing. "Fine… Just be quick. I'll be here, go." He gave in, ushering her. Kikuko cheered, then scuttled over to the cashier to pay. Tsurara trotted over to his side with a look of concern, then took his hand in hers to which he did not reject, as his mind was full of distraught.

"That will be 2.70, miss." The store-owner said gruffly, eyeing the girl up and down. ' _Dang, she'd be a nice snack after work. If only I can capture her later. I'll ask the others and see if they're available to help when they leave.'_ He smirked lasciviously, tongue-sticking out slightly. He watched as the brunette dug through her bag innocently, searching for her purse. "Oh dear… It looks like I might have left my purse back at the hotel… Whatever shall I do?~" She purred, only loud enough for him to hear, still rummaging through her bag then suddenly looked up and gave him an inviting look. The store-owner was utterly charmed, he was definitely going to take her later. All the fun he would have with this unchaste girl, he thought. But just as he was about to open his mouth to retort she interjected him first, her bewitching eyes never leaving his, "Nevermind~ found it." Breaking the contact finally, she took out the exact amount and placed it on his outstretched hands, skimming over his intentionally, then snatched the bar away playfully and skipped over to the two all while grinning happily. When her smile faded though, she saw their connected hands and sneered slightly, then peeled off the wrapper and took a bite. "Let's go now, lovebirds~" Kikuko teased, trotting away to the exit of the shop, where Kurata stood.

And as soon as she stepped outside, her grin fell and turned into one of brutishness. She paused at the entrance for a moment, before her look of savagery morphed in amusement. Kikuko chuckled, then took another bit out of her bar of chocolate, walking over to her exhausted friends.

"Really, a chocolate bar? Aren't you thris- You look like you didn't even break a sweat?!" Maki groaned in disbelief at the brown-haired girl who was happily munching on the snack. "I didn't, not really. It is kind of chilly up here. Maybe it's because of that my body doesn't have a need to perspire, lucky me~" She chirped, it wasn't exactly true, as her body did not emit a single drop of perspiration. Kana can thank her lucky stars that they had modified her body to not needing to eat or drink, as they can feed off of other things. Kukuri can easily survive for a long time by just feeding off the darkness of the night, really handy. But that doesn't mean they cannot taste and chocolate is something too delectable to decline. Kikuko could hear approaching footsteps behind, signaling that the 3 had finally left the shop. "Alright, let's head back down and grab some food from the restaurant." Kiyotsugu resounded, making everyone drool at the thought of the delicious food that restaurant makes. She watched as Jiro and him took the lead, followed by Natsumi and a slightly displeased Maki, back to the trail they came from, then glanced at the blushing Rikuo and Tsurara and a vexed Kurata with his arms folded. Kikuko smirked at them then leisurely shifted her gaze back to the group, blithely skipping over to them.

By the time they had reached the entrance of the mountain, the sun had already begun to set. They all decided to go back to their room to shower before heading down to eat as they were all sweaty and stinky. "We'll meet at the restaurant later, it's packed today and I made a booking prior." was the last thing Kiyotsugu had mentioned before he went into the boys' room.

Now was the time.

"Oh no…" Kikuko uttered, feigning a distressed look, biting her lip. "What's wrong, Kana-chan?" Maki questioned, walking over to her. "I must've dropped my keychain at the mountains earlier." She sighed, giving the blonde a troubled look. "It's just a keychain. You can go buy it again after the trip. Besides, it's getting dark." She looked out at the uncovered window, the sky now honey colored with a tinge of pink. "I have to go get it. It's an important keychain gifted to me by my granny before she had passed. I'll be as quick as I can, it shouldn't be far up. I'll call if anything happens, I promise!" the brunette reassured and dashed out the hotel room in a flash, leaving the blonde and the greenette stunned in silence. "S-she'll be fine, right?" Natsumi muttered fretfully, glancing at the taller girl, "Yeah, she did say she brought her phone so, if she doesn't come back then we'll just call her." Maki shrugged and reapplied her makeup. Natsumi was still very worried for her classmate.

When Tsurara exited the bathroom freshly showered, she noticed that her rival was nowhere to be found in the room. "Where did Ienaga-san go? She came back with us, did she not?" She queried while hanging her towel on the nearby rack. "Yeah. She said she dropped a very important keychain on the mountains earlier, but said she wouldn't take long. And she brought her phone with her to contact us if anything happens." Maki yakked nonchalantly, applying a light blush to her cheeks. Tsurara only nodded, not thinking much.

When the girls arrived at the restaurant, they were greeted with a peeved off look from Kiyotsugu. "What took you girls so long?! I'm starving already!" He complained. "Too bad, I've gotta look good everywhere I go. Let's just order now that we're all here." Maki retorted as she sat at the opposite of the male. Tsurara took the seat before Rikuo and watched him glance around, like he was searching for someone. "Where's Kana-chan?" He asked, gaze finally stopping on her. "Ienaga-san went back to the mountains. She dropped an important keychain and went back to get it. She mentioned that she wouldn't take long, so she'll be back soon." She explained with an assuring smile. Rikuo nodded with uncertainty and then shifted his gaze to the menu on the table, but couldn't stop the unpleasant feeling that swam in his stomach.

* * *

Stepping foot back into the stone trails, Kikuko swiftly walked up the upwards trail with ease. This time, she didn't need to wait for anyone or was under any watchful eyes as it was just her alone, in this noiseless forest. It reminded of how Kana's consciousness was like before she changed it with the help of her eldest sister. She hummed the same tune from this afternoon happily, her eyes taking in the night scenery. Entering the foggy part of the mountain, Kikuko could feel the unusual icy cold of the area. She was fortunate to not be able to feel the need to cover up from coldness, as they had the ability to be immune to cold.

It wasn't long when she stopped at the signs that pointed left and right.

She stared at the left trail fondly. It led to her old mansion, where she lived together with the clan of yokai's and her sisters. Good times, she giggled lightly at the memory. It was then that she heard the rustling of leaves behind her amongst the dense fog of the woodlands.


	5. Toilsome Dilemma

**This chapter is rated T.**

**!Slight Trigger Warning: Violence, Blood & Gore.**

Also! I forgot to mention this, but whenever I write their names (Kikuko, Kurenai and in the future Kukuri),they are still Kana UNLESS specified. Basically, it's still her but with a different personality depending on who's possessing her, if you feel uncomfortable seeing their names, just pretend it's Kana's name instead. Sorry for the confusion!

* * *

Kikuko glanced to her sides, whatever it is, it's not alone. She decided to just play along with the creature, swiveling her heel to the right, casually humming a tune as she skipped along the path.

"And just where do you think you're going, girly~?"

A throaty, guttural voice called out, silhouette appearing before her dangerously. It was the same man from before, the shop-owner of the little hut at the top. Then, more crunching of leaves were heard, men, yokai to be exact, all 7 of them surrounding her at once, grinning deviously. Kikuko eyed them slowly, then smirked.

"Oh, whatever shall I do~? I am but a human girl who came back to these mountains to retrieve a lost item~" She cooed with both hands on her cheeks sarcastically. "Oh, don't worry, you won't be retrieving that item anytime soon." One of them snickered, making the others around laugh.

"I call dibs on her arms!" another one shouted.

"I want her thighs~"

"Her eyes look so appetizing."

"Now now, we'll have our own turns tearing her limb to limb. Tear her apart!" The store-owner commanded and they all came charging. Kikuko giggled momentarily, dodging their attacks, side-stepping smoothly without even batting an eyelash. "You know, I wouldn't do that if I were you." She teased snidely while playing with a lock of hair. They all groaned in annoyance, "Stay still!" one of them growled and came running towards her. Her smile fell, replaced by a look of ruthlessness then she took a step forward, toward the yokai who was stampeding toward her like a wild animal.

In a blink of an eye though, she suddenly vanished into thin air. "Where did she go?!" The store-owner questioned, looking around frantically with his group of friends. Their curiosity was answered when the sound of a phone ringing resounded behind them so they spun their heads.

And instantly could feel their blood run cold.

* * *

"Oh yeah, Natsumi-chan, you mentioned that Kana would be coming back soon right? So where is she, it's this late already you know." Natsumi questioned, checking the time on her phone. "Yeah, you're right. I wonder where she is. I'll try and call her." Maki whipped hers out and dialed Kana's number, then placed it to her ear. "I hope she's okay." Tsurara mumbled with a tone slightly sarcasm laced. _"Oikawa-san is so caring, she's so pretty!"_ Jiro thought, staring at her with dreamy eyes. The blonde waited for the slight cut which signaled that the recipient had picked up the phone.

"Ah, Kana-chan! Where are you? We've already finished our food!" She complained, only to be met with silence on the other line. "Kana-chan? Hello?" More silence. Maki started to get worried, she shifted the phone closer to her ear, trying to hear clearer. That was when she heard it, the sound of whimperings. "What's going on, Maki-chan?" Natsumi queried nervously, placing a hand on her best friend's shoulder. At this point, the entire table's attention was on her, their eyes laced with concern. Then, Maki heard a loud thud from the other side that sounded like the phone was dropped onto the ground, followed by footsteps and more whimperings of fear from some people. "Kana-chan?! Are you alright?! Please answer me!" She called frantically, trying to get something, anything from the other girl. What happened next shook Maki all the way to her core causing her stand up, as her body broke into cold sweat. Just right after she had asked for her answer, screams and shrieks of pure terror erupted from the other side and it wasn't just a single person, it sounded like there were multiple people there, fearing for their lives.

" _No please!"_

" _Gahh!"_

" _Spare me!"_

" _Stay away from me you fox!"_

Followed by the sounds of flesh being torn apart, then the phone beeped, prompting that the call had ended. Maki brought a hand up to her mouth, gagging. "What happened? Where is Kana-chan?!" Rikuo urged while on his feet, panic stricken. Composing herself a little with the help of Natsumi and Kiyotsugu, she looked at him dead in the eye. "We have to go and find her…!" She huffed.

* * *

" _Ah, Kana-chan! Where are you? We've already finished our food!"_

The group of yokai stood frozen in place, as the figure amidst the dense fog held her cellular device on her left. She took a step closer to them, the smell of fear lingering in the air deliciously enticing to her. They whimpered loudly at the aura she was emanating, making her grin widen dangerously as she stared down at them with inhuman, golden eyes that pierced through them in the fog. Releasing her grip on the device, she heard it hit the ground with a loud thud. Kikuko then decided to show herself, emerging from the whiteness of the fog. She had altered Kana's body, turning her into a half-vixen. Her nine infamous pale periwinkle tails danced behind her, her cheek decorated with 3 red lines and her fleecy ears stood tall, listening to every single noise they made.

" _Kana-chan?! Are you alright?! Please answer me!"_

They could only catch the sight of her deadly beauty for a split-second, as the moment after they blinked, she appeared in front of them, tearing their limbs apart with a maniacal grin plastered on her face, the shine of her gleaming royal orbs only added to the ferocity. The group screamed, trying to flee the massacre that they brought upon themselves.

* * *

After Maki had explained the noises she heard, they wasted no time rushing out of the hotel and onto the stone pavements of the hiking trail. Of course, the anxiousness that Rikuo felt was incomparable to the others. Seriously, the events yesterday were apprehending enough, now this?! He swore he could feel his lifespan shortening just by worrying about a certain brunette. He shook the thought out of his head as it started to get more and more foggy. They soon came across the familiar wooden signs and turned to the right, starting the ascend once more. Suddenly, Natsumi shrieked in horror at the front, making everyone halt behind her. Rikuo's eyes widened at the sight of the bloodied ground before them, no bodies, just blood. Something else caught his spectacle-clad eyes. Just a few feet away was Kana's phone, laying on the ground. Quickly jogging over, he picked it up and inspected it. It wasn't broken, however, it ran out of battery and there was just a black screen when he flipped it open. If this was a yokai's doing, bringing his human friends with him was not a good idea. He stood up and went back to the group, they were trying to calm a frantic Natsumi down.

"You guys, go back down to the entrance and wait for me there. I'll search for Kana-chan." He commanded firmly. "I'll search with you, Rikuo-kun." Tsurara volunteered, trotting up to him. "Kurata-kun, accompany them down and make sure they're safe." The big guy nodded and ushered the group back. When their figures finally faded, he went back inspecting the blood on the ground. "Young Master, you think this is the work of a Yokai?" Tsurara piped up wearily, surveying the area for anything dangerous. "It has to be. No fox has the capability to cause so much blood loss to a person." His brows furrowed in uneasiness, the yokai must've gone after Kana. "We have to quickly get to her…" Tsurara suddenly grabbed the hem of Rikuo's sleeve, "Young Master…!" she hissed, staring ahead. Following her gaze, he saw a dark form approaching from the fog. "Who are you?" He called out, then instantly felt goosebumps rise on his skin. Tsurara immediately put herself in front of him, "Stay away from the young master!" she scowled at the shadow, ready to fight. The tension between them was alarming, the silence making biting on their nerves. For some bizarre reason, they were both frozen in place, unable to move or breathe properly, at the mercy of the silhouette that was coming closer and closer. Just when Rikuo was about to transform, a voice suddenly called out to them.

"...Oikawa-san?" Tsurara squinted her eyes to see clearer at the figure. Out came Kana, holding onto her jade keychain, unfazed. Upon the sight of her they instantly relaxed, heaving a sigh of relief. Rikuo ran up to the girl placing his hands on her shoulder, he examined her from head to toe, "Are you alright?! You're not hurt anywhere are you? What were you thinking?! Coming here alone…!" He chastised furiously. Kikuko blinked at him, tilting her head innocently. "What do you mean, of course I'm safe? Oh so that's where it went!" She gently reached over to his hand and took her phone. "One moment I placed it down to search for my keychain the next thing I knew it disappeared! Strange huh?" Rikuo furrowed his brows in suspicion, so who was it that picked up her phone earlier? "We can talk more later, let's head back down, it's dangerous here." Tsurara interjected quickly, grabbing onto his arm and tugged him away. Kikuko smirked in amusement at the blue-haired girl's jealousy but said nothing, silently trailing behind them. She guessed she had her fun petrifying them for fun earlier. The aroma Tsurara emitted earlier when she got frightened intrigued Kikuko, she smelled like fresh snow. Obviously, she was a snow yokai, after all. She would definitely prefer fresh snow than wet grass, but both will do. The scent of jealousy isn't always nice. Rikuo smelled like old books and just as he was about to transform, it turned into a hint of burning wood.

Yep, Kikuko could see their true forms like looking through a glass window. _I wonder what would Kana-chan think of this? Ooh~ I can't wait to see her flabbergasted look, teehee~!_ Kikuko giggled lightly, an image of the brunette's shocked look appearing briefly. Just then, they walked past the bloodied soil, "Oh? What happened here?" She asked curiously, eyeing the patch. "U-uhm… The coyotes around the mountain hunted for food, I guess?" Rikuo stuttered nervously, glancing at the brunette behind them. "Ah… When I came up alone earlier, the people did warn me about wild animals that come out at night." She piped up, "So I guess that's the blood of some unfortunate pigs, huh? Oops, I mean boar~"

"Ye-yeah. Definitely the blood of a boar!" He declared rather nervously, unsuspicious. Kikuko chuckled lightly, as the memory of earlier replayed in her head.

* * *

_After making sure none of them were left alive, she stared at the phone switching off, right on time, as the battery had died. Her hand brought up the bloody head of the store-owner, a look of horror spread on his face as he died. "What a let down~ The famed Minazuki clan, turned into something like this~? My sisters would be so disappointed~" She looked at the dead eyes of the man, smirking snidely, then glanced back at the mess of limbs. "You could've been so much more, if only you had listened to Sissy, Minazuki Komura~"_

_Strolling over to the blood soaked ground, she summoned her round potion pod. Uncorking the hole, she poured the purple liquid on the heads, limbs and bodies of the men, watching as they burned, then disintegrated without a trace._

_What was left was their glimmering however was their poor, lost souls, floating aimlessly where they had previously died, shimmering a dim yellow. Reaching a clawed hand to grab on one, she eyed the fireball-like entity with a smirk. "Itadakimasu~" She placed the glowing orb into her mouth and swallowed, humming in delight as the flavor of a soul from a yokai filled her mouth. Different kinds of souls had different kinds of flavor, for weaker yokai's like them, it tasted like slightly watered down tangerine. It's palatable enough, she thought, reaching for another._

* * *

Tsurara only let go of Rikuo's arm once they caught sight of their group of friends waiting outside. "Oh, they're out! Are you guys okay?" Kiyotsugu hollered, waving his arm at them. "We're fine, Kana got a little lost and her phone ran out of battery. But she found her keychain." Rikuo explained while walking up to them. "What a relief you're fine Kana-chan." Natsumi chirped, hugging her friend. "Woah! You didn't even break a sweat? And you're so cold!" the greenette pulled away, touching her forehead and neck. "I mean, it was cold and I was up there for quite some time searching for this." She brought the jade keychain to her friend's sight. Everyone just went aboard with her explanation and then walked back to the hotel.

"Oh, Ienaga-kun you must be hungry right? Go get something to eat, we'll wait for you." Kiyotsugu piped. She thought for a moment, she was not hungry at all. In fact, she was satisfied with just the souls she had devoured earlier, as it was enough to sustain her for at least a month or two, besides, she doesn't need to eat human food, but eh, whatever she'll just play along to the human needs. "Hmm… I'll eat after I take a quick shower. I don't like eating with dirt clinging on my body like this." She scoffed, dusting herself off. "Would you like me to go get you a take-away?" Rikuo offered kindly with a smile. "No, it's fine, I'll come down again later to eat. You guys don't have to wait up." They all nodded and then went up with the elevator. Just as Kikuko was about to enter the room thought, she felt a sudden tug by the back of her shirt, so she turned her head and saw that Rikuo was the culprit. "Let me know after you're done showering, I'll accompany you down to eat." He murmured to her then swiveled to enter the boys' room. She stood holding the door with one hand, as she stared at the spot he once stood for a second longer, then shrugged and entered the room.

Stepping into the shower, she placed her towel on the small table beside the bathtub. Placing a nimble finger on the top of her head, she pulled out the transparent hidden leaf and…

_Poof!_

The spell came undone and there she stood, in her now bloody clothes. Of course, foxes have transformation spells and whatnots. She stripped and tossed the articles of clothing nonchalantly on the floor, followed by the blood-soaked shoes that she had snuck in with earlier and placed them together. Summoning her purple pod once more, she uncorked and poured the purple liquid on the garments, observing as they lit up in purple flames, dissolving then disappearing into thin air afterward. Content, she finally turned the knobs of the bathtub and waited for it to fill. She stared at her blood-soaked hands, keen claws glinting under the bathroom light. Her tails swayed behind her, similar crimson splattered all over from her bloodlust earlier. Turning the knob once more, she sighed, slipping into the toasty waters, laying her head against the cushion provided.

She reached out a hand and brought out another pod from thin air. Removing the cork, she tipped the round glass and watched as bright teal liquid dripped, after several drops she sealed the glass and stored it back. This was her favorite concoction in the past and even now, as it helps aid with washing off unwanted grime and smells really heavenly. Her ears flopped down in satisfaction as she closed her eyes, letting the mellow water soothe her limbs. Kikuko took the time to really know more about her vessel, by digging deeper through her memories, grinning at the one where he brought her out on a date. Sitting up, she finally started to scrub herself, her claws then her tails. She hated getting her fur wet but it's better than staying dirty. The water stayed pristine, as azure as before, due to the brew she added. She stared at her own reflection in the shining water, her sharp iris staring back at her. She didn't miss out on the red markings lined on her cheek and how small her physique was compared to her original body. She _was_ in a teen's body, so of course it'd be more petite looking.

Kikuko stood up and wrapped herself in the towel, reaching a hand over to pull the plug to drain the crystal blue water, then stood before the sink mirror and inspected her body once more. She had turned her normal brown hair into her pale lilac-white ones, the hair was still the same length however. Her fluffy ears that stood tall, her golden eyes, the marks on her cheek, how her skin was a tad pallid than Kana's normal skin tone. She turned around and saw the large scar that decorated her back and clicked her tongue. She knew she shouldn't have let Kurenai take over yesterday, as she felt like scars were hideous markings. Whatever, she can cover it up somehow. Her gaze landed on her playful, pastel periwinkle colored tails that swayed slightly, then to her legs, adorned with elegant, golden markings. She didn't change her feet though, so they were the same, but with sharper toenails. Finally, she glanced at her arms, how the similar golden markings painted on them, slowly shifting her eyes all the way to her clawed hands. Her sharpened nails were rosy at the body, the color inclining into a gold until the acute tip.

Harsh knocks resounding on the door snapped her out of her trance. "Hey! Are you done?! Some of us still need to use the bathroom you know! Hurry up!" Maki whined from the other side, then stomped away. Kikuko pursed her lips, shaking her head. What Kurenai had said was so true, mortal bodies sure are troublesome. She morphed back into Kana, dressed herself and exited the bathroom with a plastic bag containing her ' _dirtied shirt'_ , but it was just an illusion she had casted on the bag to make it look like it contained one. "Sorry, Maki-chan, you can use the bathroom now." She saw the blonde get up from the chair and dash to the toilet.

"Kana-chan, make sure you eat quickly! Tonight we're playing some games that Maki and Kiyotsugu had prepared." Natsumi bubbled excitedly with a grin. "Don't need to wait up for me. Have fun playing the games, I'm going to grab something to eat now." She replied smiling back while grabbing her purse, trotting over to the exit to wear her 'shoes'. Again, she simply just used some magic to make one.

Quietly shutting the door behind her, she exited and was met with Rikuo and Tsurara standing slightly to her left, in the middle of the hallway. The atmosphere was dusted with a speck of the intoxicating aroma of love, surrounding the two of them, mostly the girl. Kikuko raised a brow at them in suspicion, then shrugged and swiveled her heel to her right, which was _fortunately_ the way to the elevator. _Did she finally confess her feelings to him?_ She thought, jabbing the down button and waited for it to arrive. _Kana would be so heartbroken when she finds out about this._

_Ding!_

The chime of the elevator resounded in the empty hallway. Kikuko stepped inside the open doors, tapped on the 'G' button, then watched the doors closing. _He didn't come after her, how disappointing. Kana, maybe you're chasing for the wrong guy. In my time there are plenty of guys better than that, I can recommend you some if you'd like, if they're even alive right now~_ She thought playfully. When the lift came to a halt, she stepped out and ambled through the lobby then into the mall. Since it was late, most of the stores had already closed for the night. Seeing as now no one was coming after, she turned toward the exit, _it's a great opportunity to go visit our previous home on the-_ "Kana-chan!" _Nevermind._ She spun her head and saw Rikuo running up toward her.

He came to a halt, hunching over to catch his breath. "S-sorry about earlier." He huffed looking up into her eyes. There was a short pause, as she stared into his eyes with an impassive look on her face. Then, she leered at him snidely, crossing her arms. "Shouldn't you be with your girlfriend?" Her grin only grew wider when she saw him blush furiously, "I-It's nothing l-like that…" He stuttered abashedly. She turned away, giving him a small hum, "Whatever." and resumed her walk, but before she could take another step forward his hand shot out to gently clutch on her thin wrists. "Believe me, please." Kikuko stared at her wrist for a moment, quickly shooting him a smirk afterward. She swiftly tugged her hand away and gripped on his, taking a few steps forward to she shorten the gap between them, then leaned into his currently cherry-red tipped ears, "You know, it's not nice to play around with feelings of girls~ It'll come back to bite you eventually~" She teased huskily and shot him another devious smirk before letting go of his hand and walking away. Rikuo was left flabbergasted with a beet red face at her shameless act a few seconds ago, since when did she become so brazen?... He speechlessly stood there with a hay-wired mind, trying to get himself together. He didn't miss the vividly intoxicating aroma that wafted off of her when she was just inches away from his ear, he didn't even know she had owned something like that… Gosh he'd have to pay more attention to her sometimes... But little did he know.

"Are you just going to stand there with your mouth hanging open like that?" She asked with a grin, her hands behind her back playfully. He snapped out of his train of thoughts and gulped then ran after her, strolling side by side in silence. Fortunately, there was still a small cafe that was open 24/7 so they headed inside and he took a seat, watching her order. Not long, she came back holding a tray with a Frappuccino topped with whipped cream and chocolate drizzle and a plate of half sub sandwich. "Are you sure that's enough?" He asked with concern, glancing between the sandwich and her. "Yep~ It's plenteous." She sipped on the straw of the chocolate drink and squealed in delight at the sweetness of it. Rikuo smiled at her childlike behavior fondly, but it soon dropped when he recalled what she had told him earlier.

" _You know, it's not nice to play around with feelings of girls~ It'll come back to bite you eventually~"_

"Kana-chan…" He called, watching her hum in reply with a mouthful of sandwich. "Did… Did something happen to you?" Kikuko sneered lightly at him, "Why ask?" She took another bite. "You've been acting strange this whole trip. It almost feels as if you're a different person. Is there something you're not telling me perhaps?..." He hesitated, seeing her pause to think for a moment. "Is it wrong for me to be a little more audacious~?" She smirked, placed her chin above her interlaced fingers while her elbow rested on the table. "I-I mean there's nothing wrong, but uh, why?..."

"Why not~? Aren't you tired of always needing to protect me? It's good for me to start changing now anyways." She looked up playfully. "What do you mean tired? I'd never! You're someone very important to me, I'd risk my life for y-"

"Ah, ah, ah~" She interjected, clicking her tongue, "Watch your words, because you're going to someone very jealous~"

"Like I said, it's nothing like that!" Rikuo's cheeks flushed a little. "B-besides what gave you the idea we were?..." She laughed at his words, shaking her head. "What's so funny?" He glared lightly at her. "No, no," she paused to rest her chin on her fingers once more, "Correct me if i'm wrong but," she leered at him, "When you and her were standing alone in the corridor earlier, she confessed her feelings, didn't she?" Rikuo fidgeted in his seat nervously. "As I thought. So, did you accept her confession?"

"W-why do you need to know?" He stuttered, looking away. "Just for clarification," She took a sip of her frappuccino, "To see if my rival won the battle."

 _Rival?... Does that mean?_ His head shot up to gawk at her.

"Kana-chan… You-"

"I'm pretty sure you accepted her, didn't you? After all… You were both always closer than I was with you." She stood up abruptly, "Let's head back now, wouldn't want to miss out on the fun, hm?" She grabbed her purse then headed for the exit.

Rikuo scrambled out of his chair and went after her, "Wait, Kana-chan! This is all a misunderstanding!" Seeing as to how she wouldn't stop walking, he ran ahead of her and blocked her with his open arms. "Would you please stop for a moment to listen to me?!" He pleaded. She kept her head down and shut her eyes briefly, then sighed and looked up at him, "Go ahead, speak."

"Thank you," He let down his arms, "It's not what you think, I swear. We aren't together, or anything. She did confess to me, but I told her that I needed time to think about it." He huffed and saw her eyes furrow. "What are you hesitating about, then?" She paused, "You like her too, don't you?" Her brown eyes stared deep into his own with a blank, yet firm look. "T-that's… Well…" He looked away from her, biting his lip. She gave him another deep sigh, "Look, I'm not here to play games. If you like her back, tell her. If not, let her know that you don't feel the same. This isn't just for her, it's for me as well." Side-stepping him, she was halted by him yet again, with his hand. "What do you mean 'it's also for you'?" He shifted his gaze to her. "Seriously, you're so dense sometimes…" She chortled lightly, turning her head to connect their eyes.

"So that I can finally toss these unfruitful feelings that were in vain, these feelings that I will once have, for you away for good."

She looked forward, forcefully tugging her hand back and walking away. Nearing the lobby, she was stopped a third time, by the familiar, warm arms that wrapped around her shoulder. They stood in silence, in the empty hall. "I…" He started softly with a wavering voice, "I'm sorry…" Her eyes stared ahead, as she waited for him to continue. "The truth is… I… I have feelings for you, too…" _There it is. He finally said it._ "You have to understand… You're both equally important to me, I-I can't just pick one of you and forget about the other one… So, I'm begging you, I'll even kneel if I have to… Please just, give me some time to think about this… It's all a little too much for me right now… Is that… Is that alright?"

It felt as if time had stopped for them, as he waited for her reply. Just when he was about to doubt himself, he suddenly felt her body shift and before he knew it, she was returning his embrace with a steady grip, the paradisiacal smell of her soap abruptly hitting him in the moment, the saccharine aroma filling his nostrils just as strongly as before. Rikuo could instantly feel his cheeks erupt in heat, feeling his knees weakening. "Alright… I'll wait. See~ All you have to do was just ask~" She teased, nuzzling into him. "Wha-... You were pretending this whole time?!" He exclaimed with a red face, "Yep~ But only because I needed to hear those words coming from you~" He gawked with his mouth ajar, making her giggle at his reaction. He swears, she is going to be the end of him someday…

Kikuko pulled away from him, swirling back to the other way, "Don't get me wrong, I was dead serious about the last part." She cautioned firmly, "Now let's head back shall we, the others are still waiting~!" Joyfully taking his hand in hers, she dragged him into the elevator. Glancing at him, she could see that he was staring blankly at the lift doors, most likely still flabbergasted. She giggled playfully, _you can thank me later, Kana~_

* * *

The hotel room door abruptly burst open, "We're back~!" Kikuko hollered merrily, releasing her grasp on his hand then entering the room. "Took you guys long enough! Come on, we're playing Pass the Bowl of Truths." Maki held the bowl up. She quickly took off her shoes and joined the group on the bed, sitting between Tsurara and Natsumi. "By the way, Kana-chan, where did you get the soap you just used? It smells sooo good, you have to tell me!" The blonde bubbled, "Yeah it's so fragrant!" Natsumi chimed in just as excited. "Oh, um… I forgot~" She lied, playfully bonking her head, to the other girls disappointment. Rikuo on the other hand, sluggishly took off his shoes and blankly climbed onto the bed, perching himself in between the Kurata and Tsurara. Everyone stared at him, "N-nura-kun, are you feeling alright?" Kiyotsugu piped up. The brunette looked up slowly then gave him a lifeless smile, "Yeah… Don't worry about me…" Kikuko giggled discreetly, looking away. It didn't go unnoticed by Tsurara, who glanced at her with a frown. She'll ask her young master about what had happened later on.

"Alright then… Well, let's start the game!" He hollered, playing the music. The bowl was passed around then stopped on Maki. She answered the question rather abashedly then the game resumed. It went like that for several rounds, landing on others then finally, the bowl stopped on Kikuko. Placing her hand into the bowl, she plucked out the folded paper and opened it. "What's the worst thing that has ever happened to you?" Ah, the coincidence. _Falling off a cliff, getting possessed by 3 demons and just barely getting out alive?_ Was at the tip of her tongue but she giggled the thought away, "I was publicly embarrassed once." She sneered at the thought, the smile still on her face. "Oh? I never thought you'd be one for that, care to elaborate on what happened?" Maki urged, scooting closer. "I was… framed for something bad once, the person ran out of the shop I was passing by and shoved the stolen goods in my hands and dashed away before I had time to react. The authorities chased up to me of course and almost arrested me, even though I told them I was innocent. I was lucky the bystanding witnesses helped me, if not I probably would've been somewhere else." She lied smoothly with her index finger leaning against her chin, pointing upwards. Of course she wasn't going to tell the tale of her beheading. "That must be horrible! I hope that person gets caught!" Natsumi fumed. "Don't worry, he was caught a few days later." Her assurance made the greenette sigh in relief.

The bowl was once again passed around, this time stopping on Tsurara. She meekly placed her hand in and pulled out a slip, then unfolding it. "Who would you like to... kiss... in…. this room?" She faltered, her face flushing a bright red. "Ooh~ You got my spicy question!" Maki chirped, "So? so? who is it?" Leaning in. Shima _[I'm terribly sorry I used to call him Jiro, oops.]_ gulped in suspense, waiting for her answer. Her face only turned even redder as she clutched onto the paper, too embarrassed to reply. "I'll voice your answer for you if it's too much. You wouldn't want to do the penalty, would you?" Kikuko whispered to her, making her squeak in alarm. "I'll say it, I'll say it!" The blunette paused briefly, "I-It's… It's, R...R-Rikuo-kun…"

Everyone in the room gasped, even Kikuko herself, though feigned. "W-why are you surprised?!" Tsurara shot, glaring at the girl beside her with a fierce blush. She only chuckled loudly, "You know, I was about to say nobody but I guess, that works too hm?" The snow yokai could feel herself die a little on the inside as she gaped at her. The vixen did not miss the smell of sadness that the blonde boy emitted, _how tragic~_ Said boy suddenly stood up from the bed, "A-actually I'm kind of tired… I'm going to go ahead to sleep first… Y-you guys have fun, okay?" He stuttered rather rapidly, bolting to the other room through the connected door. The group stayed silent for a moment, as Kikuko could hear the boy softly whimpering on the other side with her enhanced hearing. "U-Um, shall we continue?" Kiyotsugu questioned and everyone awkwardly replied a hushed yes. The bowl was passed around again, landing on the members with typical questions.

Then, the bowl landed on Kikuko for the final round. She pulled out the paper and unfolded it. "What hidden talent(s) do you have?" _Let's see… there's plenty of things Kana isn't capable of, but with the addition of the demons, her list of do-able things expanded by a whole lot._ "Hmm… Singing I guess… I've never really immersed myself in it too much, because I don't think I do well, but judging by the reactions of the people I sang in front of, I can say I perform decently." she said with hands curled around her chin, thinking. It wasn't entirely a lie, Kikuko could sing really well, it makes it easier to enrapture men that way. "Woah. Could you sing for us now?" Natsumi gushed, clapping her hands together. "Another time. For now, I'm going to get ready for bed," She yawned and stretched, "I'm feeling sleepy." The others agreed, stretching their limbs. The boys trudged to their rooms after saying their goodnights, Rikuo sending a final glance at the brunette, before disappearing into the other room.

Kikuko took the pajama and headed to the bathroom, but just as she was about to step in, Tsurara placed a hand on her shoulder. "Why did you do that earlier." She demanded while glaring. She turned to look at the peeved girl, "What do you mean why? I was trying to help you. It wasn't my fault you blurted out the truth like that." The snowy girl's brows furrowed even more, "You-!" but she was interjected, "Why are you being so aggrieved? Didn't you confess to him? Were you planning to act like that before everyone just now, even if he had accepted you? Perhaps," She took her hand and harshly shoved it away from her shoulder, smirking, "You have forgotten that we are still rivals?" Tsurara gulped, but kept her displeased look on her face. Kikuko leaned closer to the other girl's ear, "If I were you, I would've just told everyone the truth, together or not, because why hesitate? If you don't keep an eye on the person you love, they might just get stolen away by someone else, you know?" She gave her one last smile, letting go of her hand and entering the bathroom to change. Tsurara stared at the wooden door, stunned at the words uttered by the brunette.

Kikuko sighed in the bathroom, quickly changing into the night clothing, staring at the large scar behind the teen's back for a moment then donning her shirt. She exited the bathroom and saw that the bluenette was already in bed, so she crawled beside her, uttering a goodnight.

Pulling the covers up, she got comfy on the plush mattress and soon, fell asleep.  
  


* * *

I've never really talked about how all the characters really look like or dress like. That's because firstly, I am horrible at describing those things. Secondly, I'd like you guys to imagine what you think they'd wear, because that'd be more exciting wouldn't it. It's a win-win. At least I think it is… Sorry :c  
  



	6. Venerate Sanctuary

Kikuko opened her foxy eyes to the field of glowing flowers under the night sky. "Ah~ It's still so mesmerizing~!" She cooed, glancing at the still slumbering brunette, enveloped by the blossoms around. "Welcome back, Kikuko." Kurenai's stern voice greeted from behind. "Yaho~" She floated on her tails, waving her hand. "My, our host is rather somnolent, isn't she~?" her claws spread her purple fan to cover her mouth in amusement. "Can't blame her. Her spirit is still recovering and accepting our own energies." Kikuko nodded gleefully. "I wonder where is Sissy? I've got big news for her~!"

"Here."

She appeared behind Kikuko in a flash. "Ah~ Sissy~! Listen, listen~ I encountered some of the Minazuki Clan trash when I was possessing our dear Kana!"

Kukuri and Kurenai's eyes sharpened. "Tsk. So they're still alive… Those vermins... Did you kill them?" The dragoness growled, powers flaring slightly.

"Of course~!" Kikuko giggled, "I made sure none survived. And it seems like some of the lower ranking ones are still wandering around our old home. I wonder why~?"

Kukuri stared at the horizon with an impassive look. "They're still trying to forage for powers that no longer remain. As I expected, they are gluttonous as always."

Just then, a groan resounded below. Kana sat up from the ground, still drowsy from sleep. "Good Morning, Kana-chan~!" The vixen giggled, slowly descending and running toward the girl, tackling her in a hug. The brunette yelped in surprise, not ready for the sudden attack from the lady. "My gosh~! You missed out on all the fun stuff~!" She gushed as her ears twitched and her tails swayed exuberantly. "W-what happened?" the teen queried timidly.

Kikuko then began her tale of what happened that day.

* * *

"Y-You did what?!" Kana caterwauled, watching the fox-lady laugh. "W-why would you do that?! Oh, god… Rikuo-kun's going to hate me now...!" She hid her face in her hands, mind going overdrive. "What are you talking about~ He said he likes you too, you know~"

_...what?_

"I know right~! I was so happy for you when I heard him confess, you can thank me when you get together with him~" She laughed, fanning herself. Kana shook her head frantically, "That doesn't mean he'd still choose me… I'm sure he's going to pick Oikawa-san… I mean, they're so much closer together than I am with him…"

"Aw~ Cheer up, how about I charm him for you? I have plenty of spells up my sleeve to ensnare him to you, he's going to want to marry you on the spot~!"

"Wha-?! No! We're both still so young! A-And besides, I… I want to make him fall for me myself…"

"And how are you going to do that~? You're too weak to exit your own consciousness right now, and time's ticking~"

"I...I…!" Kana hesitated, knowing she was right, she was currently too weak and needed to rest. "Weell~?" Kikuko teased, her fan covering her lower face. She just chewed her lip, unable to give a reply, staring at the ground.

"It's a good time to start now." Kurenai's voice cut in suddenly. The younger girl looked up at her, "Start what?" She awaited a response and saw her robust body turn to look at her, her sharp, inhuman eyes glaring into hers. "Start waking up. Taking control of your own body, your own consciousness."

"Kurenai~ Our dear here is fragile, please remember that~" Her foxy eyes shimmered dangerously at her sister, she stood up and floated on her tails. Fragile…? What were they talking about exactly…? Those sharp golden eyes seem to catch on her uncertainty, making her giggle, "You see, when people die, they lose something called a 'Life Force'. Without one, your spirit will involuntarily be sent to the spirit realm, where you will be guided accordingly. When you fell off that cliff the other day, we just barely got hold of your spirit and injected a small amount of our own life forces into you to keep you stable. It wasn't supposed to last you long, just enough for you to make that choice. Now however, your spirit is slowly being supported by our own life forces that we are incorporating little by little and with enough, you'll soon be able to wake up from your own consciousness." Then she paused, fiddling with her tails. "But if you're dead, then… how come you haven't entered the spirit realm yet? And why incorporate your life forces slowly?" Kana piped hastily, sparing each of them a glance. The vixen giggled, "Of course, we're not dead silly~! Sure, we were beheaded, but because we have an abundant amount of life force, we weren't tossed in the spirit realm, as we aren't technically 'dead'. I doubt we'd be welcomed in the spirit realm anyways~ We just laid dormant around these lands in an incorporeal state, searching for a suitable host to latch onto and take over, so that we can serve our vengeance."

"Don't say it like we're some sort of parasite, Kikuko." Kurenai grunted, bringing a hand up to her temple.

"Tee hee~! And you, my dearest Kana-chan, was chosen to be the vessel of three of the strongest demons~!" She giggled playfully, fangs glinting. The teen pondered for a moment, just trying to grasp the idea of what she just said. "Why me though…? I don't have any special qualities, I'm just an ordinary girl attending high school…"

"Come on~ Why are you looking at yourself like that~ Ordinary girls can do some of the most impressive things as well, you know~! But if you want to know, we've waited for millennia for a suitable vessel, they don't just appear everywhere~ There has to be that special glow in their spirit, that one color that is qualified to adapt to our own life forces, because obviously, a mortal's and yokai's spirits are completely different~ But you're still young, we can't just possess you and do whatever we want, your spirit may collapse from the weight of our own.. but this opportunity wasn't going to come again for another millenia or so, and we're suuuper tired of waiting so we just came to you~ Also, with the addition of your near-death experience, your spirit is easily breakable, so, if you're asking why we have to inoculate our life forces into your spirit slowly, it's because if we introduce too much at once, your spirit will break and you will be destroyed, therefore ceasing to exist. Something like a balloon popping~" She waved her clawed hand up and down in a teasing manner. Kana digested her words slowly, placing a hand on her chin, the other on her white dress she was donned in ever since she first entered this realm.

"You won't be able to know what's going on outside right now, unless you have access to your own consciousness. The memories will come back to you when you wake." Kurenai asserted with folded arms, her sandstone tail laying dormant on the soil beneath. "You may be frail now, but you have enough life force to rouse yourself if you make an effort to. The only downside to all this is that if you force yourself to waken now, you'll need more rest the day after." She placed a scaly clawed hand to her chin, thinking. "Then again, I don't think now is a good time to experiment on that. There's a chance you may lose your hold on our powers. Which is not enjoyable for everyone, I'm sure."

"Eh?!..." Kana gasped, covering her mouth with her hands. "That's definitely not a good idea…!" Kikuko chuckled at her agitation, fanning herself.

"But uhm… Thank you, I guess. In a way, you guys did save me and… I don't think I'm ready to enter the spirit realm yet…" The younger girl murmured timidly, twiddling her fingers. "You shouldn't thank us. We're only using your body to get what we want, retribution." Kurenai shot dourly, sneering at the girl to her side, causing her to flinch. "Aw~ Come on Kurenai, don't be such a sourpuss~! You can't forget that if it wasn't for her accepting us, we'd still be wandering spirits, waiting for another perfect vessel~!" The dragoness thought for a moment. "I suppose that's true." she admitted.

"Anyways~! I guess you can cross off one of the things you planned to do for this trip, hm~?" Kikuko snapped her fan shut, clasping her hands together. The brunette tilted her head toward her, confused.

"What plan?"

The fox lady giggled, "What~? Don't tell me you forgot about it already~?"

The teen furrowed her brows in concentration, digging through her mind for answers. Then she gasped loudly.

_"Alright! I've decided, I'm going to let Rikuo-kun know how I feel about him during this trip!"_

She blushed a bright red, covering her face with her hands with an embarrassed keen. Oh of course, how could she forget about that bold declaration she had made to herself… And lamentably, it was Kikuko who took control of her and did something so rash… She prayed that Rikuo wouldn't hate her too much… Kana sighed, still hiding behind her face. "Don't need to look so sorrowful~ I only helped you~ Tell me truthfully, you wouldn't actually have confessed, would you~?" Kikuko winked, closing her eyes shortly after, knowing what the girl's voiceless answer was.

After that moment, everyone in the mysterious realm stayed silent, listening to the calming sounds of the breeze blowing against the flowers and the slight chiming of bells from somewhere. Soon, Kana's eyes begin to droop. She sat down onto the soil below drowsily, trying to keep herself awake. "Don't fight it, it's time for your spirit to rest now." Kurenai chastised, sending her glance. With a surrendered thud, Kana fell into a peaceful slumber. Kikuko sighed, shaking her head. "What a sloth~ Just kidding~!" she covered her mouth with her gorgeous fingers, giggling.

* * *

Kikuko awoke unexpectedly.

She was facing Tsurara who was still sound asleep, clutching on the covers. What time was it currently? They were up pretty late last night. Reaching under her pillow, she pulled out her phone and grimaced a little at the brightness.

5:43AM.

Oh. It felt like she was in Kana's consciousness for way longer though, but whatever. Since she's awake now, and never needed sleep, so might as well go do something, hm? Recalling about their plans digging through the teen's memories, she found out that they were going to the beach later in the afternoon, so she's got all the time she needs to go exploring, hooray.

Discreetly slipping off the covers and changing in the bathroom, she silently closed the room door behind her when she was done, after grabbing the key card. Smiling cunningly to herself, she felt proud. Even with a mortal's body, she'd still manage to be as stealthy as before. She turned on her heel and skipped to the elevator then heading down to the lobby. There were a few people roaming in the lobby or in the restaurant that was serving breakfast she studied, meandering around the lobby for a little while longer, scanning the statues and paintings that were decorated around, then finally exiting the hotel doors.

Humming a tune, she crossed the road and walked into the forest trail. The sky was painted with a pleasing blue, the chilly morning air whirling around as she skipped along the path, the light crunching of leaves resounding with each step she took. This time, instead of walking to the right, she went under the flimsy rope to the left and strolled around the route blithely. The fog was still without a doubt, still clouding the area, but it wasn't a difficult task for her to see ahead, as she had bestowed her abilities on Kana's mortal body, for the moment, so it was no trouble for her to explore the things around her with an enhanced eyesight, hearing and smelling. With each step she took, her surroundings turned darker and darker, it was as if the sun was being covered by something. She stopped walking for a moment, scanning her surroundings, then grinned. So many lost souls to devour…! Her eyes glinted in hunger as she licked her lips. There were so many floating orbs, some humans, some yokais. She must say, her sister's abominable anathema definitely worked well over the decades, those foolish humans and yokais that step foot into this place will undeniably be trapped, until they die of starvation or insanity. And this wasn't even a strong curse, it's a guarding spell maledictated by her sister, to protect their house, their clan from the outsiders and only those with the clan crest were able to enter safely. Before she savoured the souls though, she would want to pay respects to the now historical house of theirs, one with so many joyful memories. Outstretching her hand, she spiked her powers a little, dispelling the barrier her sister had set up. Of course, only the sisters had the power to take down or put up the barriers.

The darkness shattered, falling away and disappearing, and as soon as Kikuko lowered her hand, a growl resonated around her.

_Who dares step foot into the lands of the supreme beings?..._

There was hissing and then a shrill roar, the sound circling her. She kept her gaze on the currently torn down house, still barely on its hinges. The once immaculate and large house is now nothing but a worthless mass of timber, rotting away.

_Another human…? You foolish fleshlings never learn, do you? You will pay for everything you've done to my masters and for stepping foot into this forbidden land…!_

A large, monstrous shape pounced from out the shadows behind her, bearing it's nightmarish sharp fangs, ready to consume her. She turned to look calmly at the mahogany shadow. "That's enough, Bakeneko." The figure halted in mid-air, with wide, frenzied eyes. "H-How do you know my name?..." It snarled, retreating back into the shadows of the forest with loud thuds, but kept its menacing sharp eyes on her. "What~? Only after a few centuries, you've already forgotten about your own masters?" She chuckled, "You used to be so outstanding at remembering even the smallest details last time~ Like that one time you brought Sissy her favorite flowers, when she had only mentioned it once when you were just a tiny kitten~"

"Master…? Is that… Is that really you…? Who are you?... C-could it really be you, Kikuko-sama…?" The one enormous silhouette shrunk considerably in the shadows, its gaze softening. "Who else would it be, you silly cat~" She beamed at him fondly. "Kikuko-sama!" A mahogany cat pranced out of the shadows and leaped into Kikuko's arms, nuzzling as tears poured down his face. "Kikuko-sama! It's really you! I've waited for so long!" She smiled, hugging the cat tenderly as he rubbed his head along her neck. After a while, she wiped his tears and set him down. "We have a lot of catching up to do, but I can see you've lived up to what you said, hm?" Kikuko looked at the broken house. "My deepest apologies, Kikuko-sama… I swore to protect this place, but… About a decade ago, an onmyoji weakened me and tore the place down… I'm sorry I couldn't protect it well…" She growled in anger when he said that the onmyoji had injured him. "Don't worry about the house. As long as you're safe, I'm glad… Now who's this onmyoji? He's going to pay the price of hurting a member of our clan."

Bakeneko placed a paw on her knee, calming her down. "He's no longer in the world of the living now, some other yokai took him down. I'm doing fine, as you can see. I'm terribly sorry for not recognizing you earlier… Who is this human girl? She must be really strong to be able to be a host to someone as powerful as you are, Kikuko-sama." the cat tilted his head. "Right~? She's such an interesting individual~! But guess what~ She's just an ordinary teen girl~!" she teased, making him fall over dramatically. "Eh?! That means she must be extraordinary…"

"She is~! And you know what~! She's not just a vessel for me, my other sisters are also inside her~!"

"Wha-?! Even Kurenai-sama and Kukuri-sama?! This girl is a prodigy…"

"She sure is astounding, hm~? Anyways, come on, I've got things I need to do before I head back." She gestured for him to hop on, to which he did, shape-shifting into a flower necklace of the same color as his fur. Kikuko smiled, turning her body to the direction of the torn down house, ' _I am truly sorry, Kikuko-sama…'_ She heard Bakeneko mutter in guilt. "No need to beat yourself over it, besides, it's not demanding for me to fix it," taking a few steps forward, she placed a hand on the rotting wood, "Look~"

After channeling a tiny portion of her powers, the house came to life with a purple hue, broken pieces of wood flying around and attaching itself to where it once belonged, the fallen foundation reconnecting to the wooden base that was fastened firmly on the ground and seemingly in a blink of an eye, the abode was restored, pristine like before. Kikuko heaved a sigh of accomplishment, wiping a sweat from her brow, even if there wasn't any. "There we go, good as new."

" _As expected from the majestic Kikuko-sama, your prowess will never cease to amaze me…"_ Bakeneko said in awe, as she took a step into the wooden floors and then into the tatami mat. "Ah~ how nostalgic~" she hummed, sauntering around the average-sized home, with an affectionate grin.

" _Kiku. I need you to do something when you wake in the child's body later on."_

Oh right, she had a task to complete. Manoeuvring smoothly around the house, she came across a hidden entrance, one that leads to priceless treasures. " _Oh? Has there always been a door here? I never knew…"_ Kikuko touched the magical seal that painted the sliding door, dispelling the insignia, then sliding the door open. The door had led to a cave behind the house that was connected to a large hill. "Yep~ Pretty handy, hm? Sissy has always been one to think ahead~ She's so smart, I'm jealous~" she cooed, stepping into the dark cave. Bringing her hand upwards, with the palm facing herself, she summoned a bright purple ball of fox fire, which illuminated along the stone walls of the cave. Carefully walking into the narrow space of the cave, she came across yet another door. Swiftly unlocking it with her magic, she pushed the large doors open and smirked at the sight. Surrounding the single walkway that connects to the entrance was deep pools of water. They shimmered a bright azure, a feat impossible with the darkness of the cave. Floating above the waters were lotus flowers and lily pads all ranging in different colors and sizes. Above them, spikes of rocks decorated the roof. " _Wow… I've lived millennia protecting this place but… Never seen this place before…"_

"No one would be able to take down the seal placed at the door earlier, unless you're one of us, the sisters." Kikuko stated, brown eyes looking ahead, her grin widening. "There it is, Sissy~ I found it~ It's still right here like you stated~"

* * *

" _What a sloth~ Just kidding~!" she covered her mouth with her gorgeous fingers, giggling. She floated closer to Kana's sleeping figure, gently pushing away some of the brown strands on her face, careful to not harm the girl with her sharp nails._

" _Kiku. I need you to do something when you wake in the child's body later on." Kukuri monotoned, eyes locked onto one of the floating lanterns._

" _Hm~? What's up~" She looked over to her sister, hovering on her tails._

" _Our dilapidated residence should still be laying on the mountains. I need you to unseal that door and retrieve those artifacts."_

" _Oh~? We can finally play with our toys~? Hooray~!" Kikuko clasped her hands together, grinning widely._

" _It's about time we put those unworldly items to good use." Kurenai growled, glaring at the ground._

* * *

" **Good work. Stow the artifacts in the child's body. Feel free to use it should you be required to."**

"Kay~" She skipped along the stone walkway, toward the great treasures in front. Walking up the small staircase, she stared at the left artifact. It was held up by a short amethyst pillar, the edges were decorated with intricate gold stripes and curls. She shifted her gaze upwards and beamed, resting against a gold stand was her weapon. "Oh~ How I missed you~!" She lay hold of the glamorous purple fan. The guards of the fan were made by black tourmaline crystals that were polished so much that it reflected the lapis blue waters behind and it also had sharp tips on each end. The wooden sticks of the fan were painted in layers of rich gold that reached all the way to the ribs. Finally, the leaves were made of silk that was in an elegant lavender and stitched on it were the designs of clouds and foxes. "Oh how I missed you~ Back in the days I never got to use you but I'm sure I'll be able to put you to good use now~" Kikuko nuzzled the fan with her cheek, cooing joyfully. " _Is that one of the legendary weapons that you were graced with by your mother?"_ Bakeneko piped up meekly.

"Kitsunegumo. The prized fan, so beautiful, people in the past desired it so much that they were willing to lose their lives for it. Though, it was made so only I can harness its powers and use it~"

" _Woah… So that's the fabled Kitsunegumo…"_

"Teehee~ Amazing, right~? I still have other weapons but this is the one I treasured the most~" She giggled and spiritually concealed the fan within herself. Skipping over to the left, she eyed the magnificent sword that was set on a sword stand, which was atop a onyx pillar, with similar intricate gold designs on the edge. "Ah~ so this is one of Sissy's swords, huh~" With nimble fingers, she caressed the smooth scabbard of the aesthetic sword, drinking in the design. The scabbard and hilt was made of ivory that was dyed in a pearly white, and decorating the sheath was a 3-dimensional dragon whose body is curled around it, the head of the beast laid just below the mouth of the scabbard. The sheath was even decorated with swirling clouds that were in gray. The hilt of the sword was decorated with a golden cloud shaped ball with sharp tips on one end. She gently picked up the sword and subsumed it into the girl's body.

" **You have my thanks."**

"No problemo Sissy~" she giggled. " _I-Is that Kukuri-sama?... Greetings, master."_

"Yep~ We're sharing the same body after all~" Finally, she strolled over to the carnelian pillar.

Laying inside the middle of the pillar, was a fiery tangerine-colored spear, with it's end gradually sticking out from the supporting column below. It had a spear-head that was slightly wavy, glowing in a fiery orange. The shaft was decorated with amber dragon scales. Lastly, the shoe of the spear was made with fire-orange topaz. "Ooh~ Fancy yari you've got from Mother, Kurenai~"

" **It's nothing. Hand it over."**

" _Salutations, Kurenai-sama."_ Bakeneko addressed, whilst Kikuko took the spear and spiritually passed it to the dragoness. "Now, where else do I need to go, Sissy~?"

" **Below, within the waters. There will be another sealed entrance. The room beyond is our arsenal."**

"Aw~ but I hate getting wet~" she whined, placing a finger to her lips childishly pouting. " _You need not worry, Kikuko-sama, I can help you with staying dry!"_ with that, he morphed into a translucent wine-colored bubble, safely harbouring her body within. "Thanks a bunch, Bakeneko~"

" _It's not a problem!"_

With a hop, she bounced into the crystal blue pool, silently descending into the bottom. Then her eyes caught sight of the symbol on the stone door. Placing her hand flat against the door, she worked her magic and unlocked it, the stone doors automatically opening at her command. And unnaturally, the water did not enter and flood the weapon room. She stepped inside and glanced around the golden room, eyeing how it was split in 3 different sections, each with their own small space inside the hollowed wall. All of them had twin pillars at the entrance that were adorned with golden dragons swirling around, with the pillars itself being a black marble. The roof of the room was painted with traditional japanese designs and the floor was a white marble.

Kikuko stepped into the left section, which was lilac-colored and gasped at the sight of her weapons. They all rested atop a rectangular platform made of lepidolite. Quickly, she grabbed the Tsurugi and Tantou, but suddenly paused, furrowing her brows. "Sissy, I think one of my fans went missing." She looked around but couldn't find it.

" **You're right. I have suspicions that it's the doing of the Minazuki's."** Kukuri monotoned.

"Them again? How dare they lay a finger on one of my precious fans." Kikuko seethed, powers spiking slightly. " _If I remembered correctly, before the day of your executions, you took your strongest weapons with you, did you all not?"_

" **Yeah, we did. We were so sure that they were going to call Raijin* and Fujin* to aid them in their war against us. Who knew…"** Kurenai stated.

"They must've stolen our weapons when we got caught. Those scoundrels…" She sneered, growling.

" **No matter, we will claim them back shortly. They do not possess the power to utilize those artifacts with decorum."**

"Right~ They can never use those weapons anyways~ Welp, time to go back to collecting these babies~" She hopped over to the middle section, which was black-colored. "Mother really loved you didn't she~ I could only wish, to get the amount of weapons you have, Sissy~" Eyeing the swords that were stacked neatly on the wall. The middle of the stack was empty due to the missing sword. And to the right was a spear supported by a black stand behind.

After collecting them, she finally went over to the sandstone-colored right section and saw a Tantou atop a pillar, which was in between two spear stands, although one was missing.

At last, she left the room, resealing the stone door. Then, Bakeneko floated upwards, softly landing her on the floor when they were above the pool. " _Have you collected everything, Kikuko-sama? It's good to check once more."_

"Hmm, let's see~ We have my [Tantou] Junketsu, [Tsurugi] Kōshokutsume and [Fan] Kitsunegumo. Sissy's [Tantous] Jihi and Kamikiri, [Uchigatana] Kamigoroshi, [Ootachi] Yoruzenchō and [Yari] Yogosora. Kurenai's [Tantou] Kenkyo, [Yaris] Yōgankiba and Taikarekka. Yep, that seems about it. The only thing missing are our accessories and 3 strongest weapons."

" _Alright. Shall we take our leave now?"_ The cat morphed back into a necklace, resting snugly on her neck.

"Yep~" Kikuko skipped over to the exit and back out, sealing the door one final time then stepping back out to the wilderness of the forest. She inhaled deeply, the scent of mother nature filling her nostrils, with the hint of a soul's scent. Oh, right! How could she forget about the wandering souls. Smoothly transforming into her half-fox form, she quickly captured the glowing orbs and stuffed them into a purple-tinted jar. " _Um… Kikuko-sama, if I may ask, what are you doing with the souls of the recently deceased?"_

"Saving them for dessert later of course~! I'm so fortunate that Sissy placed this barrier, else these precious souls would've departed into the spirit realm~" She shook the jar gently, watching the spirits wobble inside and giggled, altering back to Kana.

Trotting out the forest, she patiently waited for the traffic light to turn green, glancing at cars passing by. When it finally turned green, she crossed the road and went back into the air-conditioned hotel. She took the elevator and headed back to the room. Upon entering, she saw that everyone was awake and getting ready for the day. "Ah, Kana-chan! Where have you been?" Maki chided, walking up to her. "I just went down to grab breakfast, I got hungry." The taller girl nodded then caught sight of her necklace.

"Woah. That's a pretty necklace, I didn't know you wore one here, where did you get it?"

"Oh, there's a pawn shop downstairs, I just found this one eye-catching and bought it. It's not that expensive." She stated, " _Kikuko-sama, are you saying I'm cheap? Bakeneko is heartbroken…"_ He sniffled telepathically, making her giggle. Maki raised a brow but didn't question anything, going back to the bed to lay down. Kikuko sauntered to the small balcony, sliding the door close once she was outside, closing her eyes and humming in satisfaction at the warmth of the sun. When she reopened her eyes, the breath-taking view of the vast ocean that shined from reflecting the sun greeted her.

"You enjoying the sun too?" A voice piped from her right.

She turned her head to see Rikuo, smiling fondly at her. "Oh, hello there~ Didn't notice you. The sunlight feels great~!" She smiled back, leaning against the railing. "I heard from Natsumi-san that you weren't in the room when they woke up, where did you go?" He queried and she noticed how his eyes squinted a little when it landed on the pendant. "I told Maki-chan the same thing, I went downstairs to get some breakfast, as I got hungry."

"I see… Where did you get this necklace? I don't recall seeing you wear one when we came."

"Oh, Maki-chan said the same thing. Pretty, isn't it? There was a pawn shop downstairs, this particular one caught my eyes and I just couldn't resist getting it." She brought it up and smiled at it.

Rikuo sneered at the necklace, "Kana-chan I… Um, I don't think it's a good idea keeping this necklace…"

"Why not?" She feigned ignorance, clutching on the necklace. "It doesn't give off a good feeling… Maybe you should ask the store owner for a refund." He stated, keeping his eyes on the necklace.

" _Kikuko-sama, is this boy bothering you? Oh? He is also a yokai. I'm guessing Kana is your vessel's name?"_ Bakeneko piped up inside her mind.

Crap, she had forgotten to tell Bakeneko to mute his yokai energy to avoid suspicion. Whatever, she'll just play it off for now and tell him to do it later. "No way~! This one is too pretty, I'm keeping it." She pouted, bringing her other hand to cover the pendant and tilting her body to shield it away from him.

"Kana-chan, I'm serious. I'm sure there are other similar pendants so, let's just give that one back and find another similar one, okay?"

She thought for a moment, bringing her hand up to her chin then grinned mischievously at him, "Nope~!" She giggled and darted back into the room, ignoring his call. The girls were all gathered in the room and with no one in the toilet, she quickly dashed inside, locking the door with a sigh. "Bakeneko, I need you to mute your yokai energy, now." She whispered urgently with a serious face.

" _E-eh? U-um, alright, whatever your wishes are."_

Before Rikuo could even bring a hand up to knock the door, she swung it open from the inside, a smile present on her face. "Kana-chan…?" He tilted his head then squinted at the pendant. "Is something the matter? If you're thinking of taking away my necklace from me, it's not going to happen~!" She stuck her tongue out at him, shielding her necklace from him like before. "N-no… It's fine, you uh… You can keep it…" He murmured, still suspicious. "Yay! Thank you~" She gave him a quick hug and felt him stiffen, "Now I've gotta change before we go to the beach so if you'll excuse me." He stood frozen in place with a slightly flushed face, stepping aside to let her get to her luggage. _What was that…?_ He thought, glancing at her rummaging through her clothes.

* * *

**Meaning of the words I used:**

Tantou: is a Japanese dagger, approximately 15-30 cm in length. Its primary use was for stabbing, but the sharp edge could be used for slashing as well.

Uchigatana: is a type of Japanese sword worn by the samurai class of feudal Japan.

Ootachi: was one of the longer types of swords, usually at least 90cm in length.

Yari: is the term for a traditionally-made Japanese blade in the form of a spear, or more specifically, the straight-headed spear.

Tsurugi: is a Japanese sword, akin to the Chinese jian. The word is used in the West to refer to a specific type of Japanese straight, double-edged sword used in antiquity.

Raijin: Japanese Thunder God

Fujin: Japanese Wind God

**Names of the Weapons:**

Kukuri's:

-Jihi; Mercy

-Kamikiri; God Cutter

-Kamigoroshi; God Slayer

-Yoruzenchō; Night Bringer

-Yogosora; Defiled Sky

Kurenai's:

-Kenkyo; Humility

-Yōgankiba; Lava Fang

-Taikarekka; Fierce Fires of Conflagration

Kikuko's:

-Junketsu; Chastity

-Kitsunegumo; Fox Cloud

-Kōshokutsume; Salacious Claw

;;Note, her Tsurugi is the length of a Tantou


	7. Blue Lemonade

After everyone had packed their swimsuits, sunscreens and other necessities, they went down to have their lunch, and since Kikuko had already 'ate' she excused herself and went to window-shop at the mall, but not after buying a chocolate frappuccino. "You'll have to forgive the abrupt command earlier, I totally forgot to tell you to silence your yokai energy. This girl is human and her friends have no idea that we're inhibiting her. And here's the surprising part, remember that boy earlier? He's the grandson of Nurarihyon! And then there's also that buff guy and girl with blue-ish hair, they're both yokai's too." She stared at an advertisement on the wall, pretending to be reading it aloud. " _I see… It's not an issue, Kikuko-sama. Nurarihyon, huh… It's been so long since we've seen that man."_

"Right~? Back then he was still such a youngblood." She grinned and moved on, skipping delightfully as she glanced around the extravagant mall. "I wonder how the others are doing. I can't wait to see them again~!" She sighed happily, eyeing a book on the display window. " _If it's about the people of our clan, you need not worry, Kikuko-sama! I can assure you they're all perfectly fine!"_

"Oh? And how would you know that?"

" _Amanozako has been sending letters once a month and Nobusuma delivers them here without fail. If you'd like, after you are done with human affairs, I can guide you back to the household!"_

"Oh~! That sounds exciting! We'll do that!" She chirped, a few passerbys glanced at her but thought that she was just reading the book a little too loudly. " _Kikuko-sama, I think you should contain your excitement a little, the humans are starting to give you looks."_

"Oops~ Teehee~" She giggled silently and moved along. Then her eyes caught sight of the television, placed above a seating area in the middle of a walkway.

" _Erosion of soil leads to a small-scale landslide at a cliff of a forest near the beach of the famous resort,_ _ Ōgon _ _Kanmuri Resort_ _." _

" _Huh… They're only mentioning it now?..."_ She thought, as the screen transitioned to the fallen boulders below the hill, previously where Kana had once died from and noticed that the blood on the stones had been washed off. ' _Well at least now I don't have to hide from the human authorities, or anything. It'd be a pain.'_ Kikuko shrugged her shoulders and went back to browsing the shops. Soon, the sound of her phone ringing halted her. Digging through her pocket she pulled out the device and answered the call.

" _Kana-chan? We're done with our lunch, come meet up with us at the lobby soon, we'll head to the beach together."_ The mild tone of Rikuo's voice filled her ears. "Okay~ I'll meet you there then~" She cooed and hung up the phone, swirling on her heels to return to the place she came from.

"Over here, Kana-chan!" The brunette heard the familiar voice of Natsumi call from in front and trotted up to the group. "Alright! Are you guys ready for some fun at the beach?" Kiyotsugu hyped, fist pumping. The group cheered back in reply, enlivened by his exuberance. With that, they strolled out of the hotel, with grins on their faces. It wasn't a long walk to the beach, so they arrived rather quickly and the boys started to place down the picnic mats on the sand and set up the umbrellas for shade. The girls headed over to the changing rooms to sport on their swimsuits.

In the cubicle, Kikuko stood, staring at the outfit she hung on the door with a blank look. Seriously, Kana has no taste in fashion, maybe that's why she isn't noticeable from a crowd. With a sigh, she placed a hand under her chin, thinking of a better outfit. Outside the shower she could hear her friends giggling and complimenting each other's swimwear. Then came a knock to her door, "Kana-chan, are you done yet? What's taking you so long?" Maki chided impatiently. "There's some _issues_ with my swimsuit, don't worry it's fixable. Go ahead without me first, I'll join you guys soon." She replied, keeping in mind to hide her displeasure. "Alright, see you outside~!" was the last thing she heard and then the fading sound of footsteps. Kikuko sighed deeply, shaking her head in disdain while glancing at the horrid swimsuit. Really Kana? This bathing suit was bright pink and it looks like something a grandma would wear to a pool. She even brought a cap and goggles! She sighed yet again, furrowing her brows. She swore if this girl hadn't died that day she'd probably die of embarrassment the moment she left this cubicle. " _But fortunately for you Kana, this is easily mendable with me around."_ She smirked and placed a hand on the top of the swimwear, sliding her hand down to the bottom as she casted a spell. The swimsuit deformed with a bright purple hue, then morphed into a white two-piece bathing suit, accompanied by a lavender-colored beach kimono. Kikuko beamed at the new style, nodding her head in approval. Not to forget the goggles, she reshaped it to a black chic sunglass. Quickly putting the outfit on, she created a pair of matching sandals and beige sun hat using her fox leaves. 

* * *

"Oh~! The setup is looking good!" Rikuo heard Maki praise as she walked to the group in her swimsuit, with the other two girls trailing up behind. Rikuo flushed a little when he saw the outfit Tsurara wore as the snowy girl usually dresses in clothing that covered most of her body. It didn't go unnoticed by the girl, making her smile a little wider in confidence as she trotted up to him meekly. "W-what do you think of my outfit, Rikuo-kun?"

Rikuo's eyes darted to her, then quickly shifted back to the ocean, "U-Uh, y-yeah! Y-y-you look g-great!" He stuttered abashedly, feeling his ears warm up. There was an awkward silence between them, their faces red. Kurata glanced uncomfortably at them and sneered beratingly at Tsurara. Maki and Natsumi took off into the ocean with a rubber ball not long after, dragging a reluctant Tsurara with them as they went. Speaking of that, where was Kana? Why is she taking so long in the changing room? Maybe she's insecure of herself?... He decided that he'll give her a few more minutes, if she still hasn't exited the washroom he's going to go call her.

* * *

"There we go~! Much better!" She swirled around in the small cubicle, gleaming at the unfurled cloth as she twirled. " _As usual, your sense in fashion never fails to astonish me, Kikuko-sama! You look irresistibly alluring even with this human girl's look!"_ She giggled and stuck her tongue out playfully. Truthfully, Kikuko had altered her body slightly, by making her hips and waists thinner, more curvier and enlarging her chest by a tiny bit. Of course, she couldn't forget about the large ugly scar that ran down her back, so it was easily concealed with another fox leaf of hers. Quickly calling on the same blue bottle she had used to shower before, she uncorked and tilted the flask with her middle finger on the opening, then tapped on her neck and wrists then stowed it back away. The liquid also makes for a good perfume. Quickly grabbing her drawstring bag, she stepped out of the cubicle.

Rikuo watched as the girls played in the water, tossing the ball to each other sometimes tripping down into the waters with Kiyotsugu and Shima having a water gun battle near them. It made him smile, as he could feel his worries and weight of his duties lift off his shoulders. Kurata glanced at him and saw how he relaxed and it honestly made him feel a little happy. The young master was always buried head to toe in the Nura Clan's business as he is the head of the clan, so seeing him being able to relax like this makes him feel glad that he accompanied him here. "Young master, aren't you going to join them in the water as well?" Kurata piped, watching the water fight between the 2 boys. "Hm? Oh, no. I'd rather just watch, honestly. You may join them if you wish." Rikuo smiled at him, taking a sip of the soda he bought earlier. He can't believe that it's already the last day of their stay, but he knows he will treasure every moment spent here forever, he thought, recalling the delighting moments that happened the last two days, the event between him and Kana appearing in his mind, with his confession and her words. He brought a hand up to his head, cringing at what he had said to her last night. Oh god, how he wished he could erase those memories, rewind time and take them back.

_"Wha-... You were pretending this whole time?!"_

_"Yep~ But only because I needed to hear those words coming from you~"_

His blush deepened, seriously, since when did Kana have this side of her…? The last humourless line she deadpanned came up to his mind,

"Don't get me wrong, I was dead serious about the last part."

He flinched and yelped, almost spitting his drink out. Due to him being too deep in thought, he failed to hear footsteps coming up from behind. He turned around and swore his mind malfunctioned for a moment as he stared at her with his jaw unhinged. Kikuko had her eyes fixed on the clear blue ocean that was ahead, she held onto her sun hat with her glasses resting on top as her kimono and the ribbons on her swimsuit fluttered slightly from the wind. The same, captivating aroma wafted around them as he gaped at her. Finally shifting his gaze down to him, "It's not nice to stare, Rikuo-kun~" she teased, sneering lightly at him. Rikuo gasped, quickly turning his head away in shame. "Today's weather sure is pleasing, isn't it, Kurata-kun?" She tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear as a light breeze blew past them. "Yeah." He replied, looking at the azure skies. Rikuo's mind was going haywire, did Kana always possess such a curvaceous body like that? And how did she know he was thinking about the incident between them earlier.

"K-Kana-chan, h-how did you know I was thinking about what happened between us?" He stuttered quickly, trying his very best to suppress the urge to look at her.

"Oh~? Hm… I had a gist you were, from the way you looked~ And is that seriously the first thing you're going to say to me~? I'm hurt~" She pouted smugly, while settling her stuff onto the mat.

"E-Eh?!... Wha-?!... U-Uhm…" He sputtered timorously, gulping, still trying his best to avoid even peeking at her. He heard her sigh sadly and could feel his heart tug in disappointment at himself, shoving his timidness away, he finally locked his eyes on her, "Y-Y-You l-look g-g-gorgeous…!" He stammered with a bright red face, surprising both of them. Kurata's eyes widened by a fraction at his young master's temarariousness as he knew his human self is more withdrawn and timid. Kikuko stared at him for a moment and then giggled, "Aw~ Thank you, it means a lot to me~ And I must say," She brought a hand up to her mouth slyly, "You look quite dashing yourself, Rikuo-kun~" her eyes flicked to his open abs then back to his eyes and he could feel himself wilt a little on the inside. As his face bloomed a magnificent red all the way to the tips of his ears, he swiftly hid his face in his hands hearing her giggles. He missed the old, timid Kana… Who and what did you do to her?... "Well~ I'm going to get myself a drink from the vending machine, you guys want anything?" They both shook their heads in response,Kikuko shrugged, got up and left.

While making her way to the vending machine, she could feel eyes on her as she strolled gracefully, hearing the gossip from some of the girls she came across.

"My gosh look at her~"

"I'm so jealous~"

"I'd kill to have a body like hers!"

She smirked faintly, halting right before the vending machine. Even still, the murmurs of compliment never fail to reach her sharp ears.

"Dang bro, look at that hot bod over there~"

"I know right, what a chick~"

"Wonder if I can ask her out."

She brought a finger up to her chin, browsing through the drinks displayed behind the screen of the vending machine and it was then she heard footsteps coming near her, and without even turning around she already knew it was those boys who were ogling at her earlier.

"Hey baby~ Wanna come with us to have some fun? I know a place we could go~" One of them tapped on her shoulder with a smirk. Kana turned around with an unimpressed expression, "No thank you boys, I have somewhere else to be." She turned to walk away but one of them grabbed onto her wrist, making her brows furrow in annoyance. "Aww~ come on, don't be such a spoiled sport and join us, I promise it'll be fun!~" Another one sneered, his grip tightening.

"Hey! Let go of her!" A familiar voice piped up, they all turned around to see Rikuo with a look of anger. The delinquent's smirks were instantly replaced with an irked look, and they clicked their tongue. "Oh? And what are you gonna do? Punch us with those arms of yours?" One of them laughed. They let go of her and strode towards him, taunting him with insults, to which it made the brunette fume even more. But before they could even take one more step closer, Kana's hand grabbed onto one of the juvenile's wrist and twisted it with a look of displeasure, making the boy yell in pain. "I suggest you boys stop and leave us alone, if not, it's not his wrist that he'll be losing." She spoke the last part darkly, looking at the other two with an unmistakable look of threat and then she released her grip, and watched as they scrambled away hastily with insults.

Kana sighed and turned back to look at Rikuo watching him glare at their retreating figures. "I would've handled it fine alone, but, thank you~" She cooed, going back to her foxy attitude. He immediately turned back to her, his angered expression softening. She took his hand softly and trotted back over to the vending machine with him in tow, "So!~ What do you want to drink?~ It's on me, my little knight in shining armor~" her chocolate orbs glinted in flirty mischief. Rikuo felt his brain short-circuit, as he turned into a blushing mess. "I-i-it's f-fine! U-uhm just… Pick a drink and let's j-just go back to the others…" He stuttered abashedly, pulling his wrist back and hiding it behind him timidly. The girl giggled and shrugged her shoulders, inserting her coins into the machine and tapping on the lit button. "Alright~ Let's head back now~" she grabbed the drink and twirled around. As they walked back together and tow, the currently resting Tsurara glared at the couple, her grip on her baby blue towel tightening with each second. Kurata nervously watched as he was afraid that her power may spike out of nowhere and freeze everyone around.  
  


* * *

Kana:

Beach Kimono:  [ here ](https://www.prettylittlething.com/black-sleeveless-maxi-beach-kimono.html)

Top:  [ here ](https://www.prettylittlething.com/baby-pink-crinkle-bow-bikini-top.html)

Bottom:  [ here ](https://www.prettylittlething.com/sage-green-high-tie-waist-bikini-bottom.html)

Maki:

Swimsuit:  [ here ](https://www.prettylittlething.com/petite-white-plunge-buckle-belt-detail-swimsuit.html) (white)

Natsumi:

Dress:  [ here ](https://www.prettylittlething.com/pink-ruffle-tiered-off-shoulder-beach-dress.html)

;;Note, her dress is in light green.

Tsurara:

Dress:  [ here ](https://www.prettylittlething.com/white-crochet-trim-frill-hem-beach-dress.html) (white)


	8. Not A Chapter: Character Descriptions

Hello again, lovelies. Quick fun fact: whenever I rewatch Nurarihyon no Mago, I’d just skip straight to episode 10 of the first season because that’s the magical one. Is it just me? Probably. And honestly, when Rikuo glanced at her carrying Natto Kozo, it always melts my heart. As I’d like to call it; “the look when he knows he found, the one.”

Speaking of looks, I’ve never gone into detail of how the 3 sisters, Kikuko, Kurenai and Kukuri, looked like. I’ve never really aced the technique of describing looks or outfits and probably never will, but will try my very best to do that should the need arrive in the future, but this is sort of how they look like;

**The credit of the artworks and web linked belong to their rightful owners, I do not own them!**

**Kukuri** ; her Physique & Hair > [ here ](https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/5442afd0-cca5-476e-abe9-eec312a4e8e3/dd60d1q-596a8cf4-9a85-4080-8c26-8a699ca0ffa9.jpg/v1/fill/w_1280,h_1479,q_75,strp/shinigami_by_aoiogataartist_dd60d1q-fullview.jpg?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOiIsImlzcyI6InVybjphcHA6Iiwib2JqIjpbW3siaGVpZ2h0IjoiPD0xNDc5IiwicGF0aCI6IlwvZlwvNTQ0MmFmZDAtY2NhNS00NzZlLWFiZTktZWVjMzEyYTRlOGUzXC9kZDYwZDFxLTU5NmE4Y2Y0LTlhODUtNDA4MC04YzI2LThhNjk5Y2EwZmZhOS5qcGciLCJ3aWR0aCI6Ijw9MTI4MCJ9XV0sImF1ZCI6WyJ1cm46c2VydmljZTppbWFnZS5vcGVyYXRpb25zIl19.mn5tkWLEINRBjya5lKzn4w7IjjB0nNeEIgmQDdv9dgQ)

;her Facial Features (eyes black instead of red), Bangs > [ here ](https://i.pinimg.com/564x/b0/dd/2b/b0dd2b849062710a104307ee41934098.jpg)

**Kurenai** ; her Physique & Wings > [ here ](https://cdna.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/031/146/730/large/guihong-lin-15.jpg?1602736586)

;her Hair & Facial Features > [ here ](https://cdnb.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/020/284/361/large/fei-liu-jietu1.jpg?1567154691)

;her Scales & Tail > [ here ](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/f3/7a/be/f37abed9c1a79c97e5b376b0c01dab72.jpg)

;her Horns > [ here ](https://i1.wp.com/dmdave.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/chinese-dragon.jpg?zoom=2&resize=656%2C300&ssl=1)

;; _Note_ Kurenai is a dragon yokai, called [ Tatsu ](http://yokai.com/tatsu/) but since she’s sort of an Alpha, I’ve decided she should be something like an [ Amphithere Dragon ](https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/mythology/images/e/e3/1df76b3f700a922c3fbb497e011df1be.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/400?cb=20200307232414). She’s more connected to fire than water in the original Tatsu story above. 

**Kikuko** ; her Physique, Ears, Hair, Facial Features > [ here ](https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/towerofsaviors/images/a/ab/Pet2185.png/revision/latest?cb=20191004034357)

;her Hair Color & Facial Features (additional, this was too pretty not to add) > [ here ](https://i.pinimg.com/564x/a9/b2/63/a9b263e57b1ab0f43353cd7c02fc79d2.jpg)

;her Tail Color (but paler, almost white) > [ here ](https://www.solidbackgrounds.com/images/1920x1080/1920x1080-pale-lavender-solid-color-background.jpg)

;; _Note_ her Hair and Tail colors are almost the same, just her tails are paler.

I’ve also never mentioned their outfit. Again, it’s just I terribly suck at describing stuff like that and it’s also because I'd like you to imagine them yourselves, which is much more fun that way, right? But if you can’t think of what outfits they’d wear, here are some examples;

**Kukuri** ; [ here ](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ESKXw5GUUAEQ5QJ?format=jpg&name=large)

Or; [ here ](https://64.media.tumblr.com/8bf857b4073cdcb3afe94f7f36ee8dd0/tumblr_pyochtnwrf1sy8m4po1_1280.png) < but everything is in black.

**Kurenai** ; [ here ](https://i.pinimg.com/564x/a2/6d/b5/a26db539408431180efb3846ccf23701.jpg)

Or; [ here ](https://i.pinimg.com/564x/9b/1c/46/9b1c46b7dbb3eba95c460085befc51dc.jpg)

;; _Note_ both in a slightly lighter orange hue. (Apricot)

**Kikuko** ; You may use the one in the picture above about her Physique, if not;

; [ here ](https://i.pinimg.com/564x/77/ec/ea/77ecea2d351f0368e3cf8af62333edff.jpg)

Or; [ here ](https://i.imgur.com/Ml3U7E4.jpg)

;; _Note_ both in a lighter shade of purple. (Thistle)

Lastly no, when they take over Kana’s body, they don’t transform to their original forms, unless stated, so they’re just possessing her.

**_The credit of the artworks and web linked belong to their rightful owners, I do not own them!_ **

I really hope that the description of those pictures made things a little clearer, and as always I hope you enjoyed reading the chapters. Feedbacks and Constructive Criticism are welcomed. See you soon.

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! I hope you enjoyed the chapter of this fanfiction. I originally posted it on Fanfiction.net and thought of putting it here since I currently frequent this website. I'm still fairly new to posting a story in this website so I hope you pardon my mistakes! I'll try my very best to get used to this! Constructive Criticism would be appreciated! ^_^


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